‘The Young and the Restless’ (Y&R) News: Alum Max Page Undergoes Successful Heart Surgery

Good news for “The Young and the Restless” (Y&R) alum Max Page (ex-Reed Hellstrom)! He was the recipient of the Melody Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve, his tenth surgery, at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Max was born with a congenital heart defect called Tetralogy of Fallot. He underwent his first surgery at the age of three.

CHLA – Children’s Hospital Los Angeles – released a video on YouTube, “A Melody Valve for Max Page” chronicling Max’s journey the day of the surgery. In the video Dr. Frank Ing – co-director of CHLA Heart Institute – provided an explanation of the surgery. Interviews with Max’s mom Jennifer, his dad Buck and his younger brother Ellison are also included in the video.

Max explained, “I’m older and I understand more. That means I understand there’s a good chance of me getting through, but there is also a risk. It’s not just like ‘Max you’re gonna make it,’ now I understand.” And, as anyone would be in the same situation, Max Page said he was tense and nervous but had confidence that the doctors “were gonna do great and there’s nothing really to worry about.”

In the nearly seven minute video the Page family is shown praying together before Max is taken into the operation room. Buck Page, Max’s dad, spoke about the difficultly he has each time he has to hand off his young son to the surgeons. Rose Page, Max’s mom, explained that not much is known about the Melody Valve surgery and there was “high anxiety for all of us.”

Max had been feeling more and more tired and most days did not feel like getting off the couch. His energy levels were dropping and his mom noticed. Then the family received a call that caught them off guard as they hadn’t thought Max would have the procedure this summer. But, CHLA was ready and Max headed in for heart valve replacement surgery.

The Melody Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve surgery was successful and the 10-year-old didn’t have any complications during the surgery. The best news of all is that Max went home the very next day and resumed normal activities within days of his discharge from the hospital. He will need echocardiograms periodically over the next several months to monitor his progress. In September, Max will return to CHLAfor a previously scheduled pacemaker replacement procedure.

As Max gets stronger and stronger perhaps “The Young and the Restless” fans will see him return on a limited basis as Reed. In addition to his role as Reed Hellstrom on “The Young and the Restless,” Max Page was the little boy featured as a mini-Darth Vader in a Volkswagen Passat Super Bowl XLV commercial.