Some people manage to shine despite living with rare medical conditions. Others manage to overcome them and be happy. All of them are very inspiring, however, those who are willing to fight alongside them to find a cure for their illness deserve special recognition. For example, people like Marc Anthony take advantage of the resources they have to make the lives of those in need better. Here we tell you his story.
Marc Anthony, whose real name is Marco Antonio Muñiz Rivera, began his artistic career immersed in the hip-hop genre. It was in 1991 when he reached the coveted first place on the American music charts.
Over the years, he has become a true musical icon, and his harmonies have ranged from salsa to bolero, ballad, and pop. Today, he is acclaimed worldwide for the million-dollar sales of his albums, giving him the title of The King of Salsa.
However, those who really know Marc Anthony know that there is nothing more valuable to him than his family. The singer longs to share everything he can with his loved ones and understands better than anyone that those he loves most in the world cannot be taken for granted.
In fact, Marc Anthony had to go through a very difficult period during his childhood to become the man he is today. His childhood took place in East Harlem, Puerto Rico. Son of Guillermina Quiñones and Felipe Muñiz, he was the youngest of seven siblings.
Although his childhood was good, his happiness was overshadowed by a family tragedy: the death of his sister Maribel from brain cancer. It is not difficult to guess that this sad loss affected Marc deeply and lingered in his heart throughout his life.
Now, with a consolidated career, Marc has the opportunity to express his pain through music. Thus, the renowned singer-songwriter uses his art not only to dazzle his audience, but also to channel his emotions.
For example, in 2016, she performed at Radio City Hall in New York, where she revealed that her song Tu memoria was a tribute to her late sister and, while she performed the piece of music, she projected an image of Maribel on the big screen. Thus, along with a moving instrumental piano accompaniment, the artist could not help but break down emotionally on stage, but he received the unconditional support of his fans and loved ones.
Unfortunately, the tragic illness that took Maribel's life resurfaced in Marc's mind many years later, when he experienced a mortal scare with his then-wife, Jennifer López, when his twins were born.
Days after welcoming Max and Emme, J-Lo and Marc faced terrible moments of unease when they discovered a suspicious lump on little Emme's head. This worrying discovery nipped the new parents' initial joy in the bud.
“I remember looking at Marc and thinking, 'We should call the doctor.' I panicked. "We were thinking, 'Did someone drop her when we weren't looking?' I just remember looking at him and saying, 'If this baby, if Emme's not going to be okay, I'm not going to be okay,'" the singer shared.
Fortunately, a timely diagnosis revealed that it was not a serious health problem. Although Marc also felt a deep terror at the idea of reliving the tragedy of his little sister with his daughter. This experience made the couple realize that many others do not have access to the resources that allowed them to care for their daughter.
“I know firsthand how devastating brain tumors are and how much they affect families, and I share VABC's (Voices Against Brain Cancer) goal of finding a cure so that no family has to suffer the way we did,” Marc commented.
Thanks to this, the family decided to create the Maribel Foundation, in honor of Marc's late sister, and also in recognition of her daughter. However, after his separation from Jennifer, the organization was renamed the López Family Foundation, and even today, it continues to carry out important humanitarian work to help those most in need. “We want everyone to have a fighting chance,” the singer continued.
