Max Page, the boy who played a mini-Darth Vader in a memorable Volkswagen Super Bowl commercial, successfully came through open-heart surgery Thursday.
"The surgery went very well," Dr. Vaughn Starnes, the cardiothoracic surgeon who performed the two-hour operation at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, said.
"Max is in the cardiac ICU and recovering very well."
The seven-year-old, born with a congenital heart defect, is expected to remain there for the next 3-4 days, followed by six weeks of home recuperation.
Max's mother, Jennifer Page, said that her boy – who has had recurring roles on The Young and the Restless and Prime Suspect – put on a brave face.
"Max wanted to hold his brother's hand and Max said, 'It's okay, I'm not scared,'" said Jennifer. "He just wanted to hold our hands and his stuffed animals."
"He went in much calmer than we were."
"Max spent all night making us laugh," his father, Buck Page, said the night before. "Even this morning, he kept telling us everything is going to be fine."
On Friday morning, Jennifer Page told the Today show in an e-mail, "Max is awake at times, talking, and looking forward to going home."
Max is also helping to raise money for kids in need at Children's Hospital. To contribute, click here. Then watch the youngster in action below ...
