Red Light Distribution employee Cristina Rodriguez has been engaged in a difficult battle with Hodgkin’s lymphoma for the last seven years, and she seems intent on beating the disease.
Red Light Distribution and Platinum X will be holding a fundraiser for Rodriguez to assist her in her return to health at 8 p.m. this Friday at Forbidden City in Hollywood. Debbie Schwarz, manager of reviewer promotions for Red Light, told AVN.com that attendees will get free admission into the event, up until 10 p.m. ($20 after that), which will take place on the club’s Vine St. patio. Schwarz said they will be taking donation for Rodriguez at the event.
Rodriguez, a mother of two children, has been involved in the invoicing department at Red Light for eight months now. “I really feel like I am part of a family at Red Light,” Rodriguez told AVN.com. “All of my family lives in Mexico, so the company was there for me, and made me feel like I wasn’t alone.
“I’ve made some great friends and would like to especially thank [Red Light Distribution owner] David Joseph, as well as the people at Platinum X and Pulse [Distribution].”
Rodriquez has worked with a variety of companies as she’s been in the adult industry for 15 years.
“I started in 1990, doing duplications for a company called Springboard,” Rodriguez said. From there, Rodriguez ended up at Exquisite Pictures, where she stayed for seven years.
“I was always on time, and I never missed a day of work while I was there,” said Rodriguez. “That’s probably the hardest I’ve ever worked in my life.”
It was at Exquisite in 1999 when Rodriguez was first diagnosed with the fatal disease. “They told me I had Stage 2 Hodgkin’s lymphoma…which means I was starting to show the physical symptoms; the weight loss and the swollen lymph nodes.” Without medical insurance, Rodriguez went to the county hospital for what would be the first of three treatment sessions, spanning seven years.
“After my first radiation treatment, I went into remission. But a year later, the cancer came back, and I went right back into Stage 2,” explained Rodriguez. “They were unable to perform surgery, and so chemotherapy was the only thing they could do.” Rodriguez went through six months of chemo, but the disease would eventually come back, and this time it was stronger than ever. Rodriguez was diagnosed as Stage 4.
“I needed to get a bone marrow transplant at the time, but without a green card, that was impossible…But God seems to have surrounded me with angels, because my doctor helped me write several letters to immigration, and in February of 2005, I was able to get a green card, and go through with the bone marrow transplant.”
The transplant, however, was unsuccessful, and Rodriguez was, once again, faced with the choice of how to continue fighting cancer. “They wanted to plan other transplants, but right now, after seven long years, I need to take some time and re-charge. I need to go back to Mexico with my children and charge up my energy again to come back. I’m also planning on going through a few treatments while I’m in Mexico.”
This is where the Red Light owner Joseph came in. Joseph paid the money out of his pocket so Rodriquez and her two children will be able to go back to Mexico in August. Joseph also said that he would re-hire Rodriguez when she returned to the United States.
“While Cristina is in Mexico she’s going to need some financial support,” said Schwarz, “and when she gets back, she’ll need some funding as well.” Schwarz explained that the company has set up a joint checking account, and so donations will go right to Rodriguez, to guide and support her through this tough time.
“We urge everyone to come out and help this cause, as well as get a chance to socialize,” added Schwarz. “We thank Red Light, Platinum X and Pulse Distribution for their involvement in this worthy cause.”
Schwarz said that prospective attendees should RSVP with her at either 818.886.6821, ext. 108 or e-mail at [email protected].
Forbidden City is located at 1718 Vine Street (the corner of Hollywood and Vine) in Hollywood.
