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Actress Erin Michelle Soto
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Actress Erin Michele Soto Lifts Through Her Trauma to Return to Her Hit TV Series

By Joe Wehinger — 2 years ago

Actress Erin Michele Soto Lifts Through Her Trauma to Return to Her Hit TV Series

Audiences know Erin Michele Soto from her work in the miniseries Shirley and Shelly and the TV series Studio City, the smash hit and Emmy – winning drama.

Around the world audiences see stars on red carpets, TV and movie screens; and often never consider the challenges these performers face to live their dreams.  

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So many people recognize a star’s good looks, their talent, the laughs and tears from the characters they portray. But the audience doesn’t really get to know the person behind that work.  Today Erin is sharing a deeper look into her journey. 

Erin Michele Soto Reveals Her Bright and Her Dark

Recently we had a chance to sit down with Erin Michele Soto and she revealed the brightest and the darkest moments of her story and the excitement yet to come.

Like so many, Erin moved to Southern California with big Hollywood dreams. But she did not become the struggling cliche.  She had the talent and good fortune to quickly find work as an actress and as a dancer.  

Tragedy on a Celeb-Filled Dance Floor

Erin Michele Soto’s grace on the dance floor quickly brought her attention.  She found A-list work immediately in Modern, Ballet, Jazz dance genres. Stars of the stage, small screen and silver screen all demanded her time, attention and help.

Then as her star was rising, suddenly it all crashed down.  Literally.  One day in the middle of dancing, Erin fell, hit her eye and the trauma from the fall punctured her brain.

The next moments created a chronic ailment that took Erin over a year for her to recover.  The glitz and glamour lifestyle was replaced with being bed-ridden and living a small, dark, lonely  life.

Hearing Soto reflect back today, there’s still a pain in her eyes and her voice.  But a growing strength and courage in her soul.

Was her journey hard?  Yes.  Painful?  Yes.  Encouraging?  No. 

But, Erin wasn’t done yet.

Ironically, her body really thought she was finished.  She rarely left the house.  She couldn’t socialize with friends.  She forgot how to do the smallest tasks constantly, things like closing her house door; she would routinely black out as she walked through her neighborhood.

The things most people find common, this talented star was suddenly struggling to complete.

“No One Can See My Pain”

Even worse, her mind was playing tricks on her.  

This normally proud, healthy, optimistic person was suddenly having thoughts of self-harm.  It was a dark time.  The good news is, she knew better.  Luckily, she never acted on those dark, harmful thoughts.

Your Village Supports Your Recovery Journey

To meet Erin is to fall in love with her.  Her energy, her spirit, her intelligence, her motivation.  Luckily, even in her darkest moments after her trauma, Erin’s community rallied to cheer her on and find ways to help her while she struggled to live daily life.  She bravely chose to get professional mental help which also supported her and returned her closer to light and happiness.

She learned to over-power her own thoughts and regain positivity.  She now meditates daily and credits that mental strength with her return to courage and creativity.

“I used my imagination

to get back into the world”

Back on Set

Just over a year after her life-changing trauma, Erin was itching to get back to performing.  The injury focused her true passions in using her voice in acting.  Performing, acting, dancing.  But she was dealing with a very foreign feeling: insecurity.  Could she remember her dialogue?  Could her body move as gracefully as it used to?  Would she feel as comfortable acting as she did before?

As a performer, Erin had to “learn to walk” again.

Erin was eager to return and try.  She chose a small, local theater in SoCal’s modest San Fernando Valley.  

“To her surprise, relief and excitement,

all of her worries went away.”  

To her surprise, relief and excitement, all of her worries went away.  Her mind and body cooperated and she had a blast performing again in front of huge crowds.

“If something brings you joy,

push through your fears”

Today, Erin is busier than ever.  She’s currently working on projects for both stage and screen, taking meetings as an actress for both tv and film.

She credits her friends, family, health professionals and community with helping her overcome her dark moments.  Her continued meditation keeps her mind clear and strong.

As a performer, she’s excited to be in front of an audience – whether you’re watching her in-person on stage, on your television or on the big screen.

With confidence, motivation, discipline and support from your community, everyone can rebound from their challenges and return to what they love.  Erin Michele Soto is a brilliant and inspiring example of this.

Follow Erin Michele Soto on her social media at:

https://www.facebook.com/OfficialErinMicheleSoto

https://www.instagram.com/erinmichelesoto

https://twitter.com/erinmichelesoto

 

Heimerdinger Foundation
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Heimerdinger Foundation Adds Four to Board of Directors

By Rocco Delfino — 2 years ago

Heimerdinger Foundation Adds Four to Board of Directors: Blake Boyd and Jenni Bradley, Tim Falade and Andrew Sartoris

The Heimerdinger Foundation, a nonprofit organization providing nutrient-rich meals and education, free of charge, for families facing cancer, announces executives

Blake Boyd (Pinnacle Financial Partners), Jenni Bradley (BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee), Tim Falade (HCA Healthcare) and Andrew Sartoris (HCA Healthcare) have joined the organization’s Board of Directors.

The 13-member board, comprised of business leaders across multiple industries, help develop the strategic plans of The Heimerdinger Foundation in support of its signature Meals 4 Health and Healing program.

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In addition to the board additions the nonprofit has named a new a President, Secretary and Treasurer. Wade Weaver, Director at PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP, assumes the role of President while Don Diffendorf, VP, Financial Services Account Manager at GE Healthcare, steps in as Treasurer and Christa Gassler, Senior Director of Affordability at eviCore Healthcare, a Cigna subsidiary, as Secretary.

Current Heimerdinger Foundation Board of Directors:
President – Wade Weaver, Director at PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP
Treasurer – Don Diffendorf, VP, Financial Services Account Manager at GE Healthcare
Secretary – Christa Gassler, Senior Director of Affordability at eviCore Healthcare, a Cigna subsidiary
Executive Director – Katharine Ray, Heimerdinger Foundation
Blake Boyd, Senior Vice President at Pinnacle Financial Partners
Jenni Bradley, Manager Strategic Projects at BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee
Joseph Conner, Senior Director at Essential Broadcast Media
Lynda Davenport, Practice Manager at Endodontic Associates
Kevin Elkins, Associate Attorney at Epstein Becker & Green
Tim Falade, Assistant Vice President at HCA Healthcare
Kathie Heimerdinger, Founder of The Heimerdinger Foundation
James O’Brien, Chief Operating Officer at Valkyrie Bitcoin Trust
Dr. Sharon D. Peters Executive Director for Community College Initiatives at Tennessee State University
Andrew Sartoris, Assistant Vice President for Strategy & Innovation at HCA Healthcare

Blake Boyd came to Nashville 16 years ago by way of Texas where he attended Baylor University in Waco, Texas and graduated with a degree in Business Management. Boyd is a Senior Vice President at Pinnacle Financial Partners where he has served in various roles since 2011.  He currently works as a Financial Advisor serving clients ranging from middle market businesses to real estate investors to private banking clients.

Jenni Bradley manages strategic projects for Provider Programs and Strategy at BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. She helps drives corporate efforts related to value-based reimbursement initiatives and alternative payment arrangements with network physicians and hospitals.

Bradley previously served as director of Talent Development for the Nashville Health Care Council where she oversaw all activities to offer unique education and networking activities for individuals rising in their careers within Nashville’s $95 billion health care industry.

Prior to joining the Council, Bradley was based in Washington, D.C. where she held positions at the U.S. Department of Education, The White House and the Office of Congressman John J. Duncan, Jr. A Nashville native, Bradley received her B.A. in College Scholars from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and her Master’s in Political Management from The George Washington University.

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In his role as Assistant Vice President at HCA Healthcare Tim Falade supports initiatives focused on sustaining and expanding access to quality care. Throughout his healthcare experience, he has served in a variety of roles focused on clinical support, strategy and operational excellence.

Falade’s passion for holistic, community-based, cancer support services was heightened early when friends’ health journey had their families traveling overseas for a holistic cancer care. He is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and an alum of the Nashville Young Leaders Council.

He earned his Master of Business Administration from Belmont University’s Jack C. Massey College of Business.

Andrew Sartoris is Assistant Vice President for Strategy & Innovation at HCA Healthcare, one of the nation’s leading providers of healthcare services with over 180 hospitals and 2,000 ambulatory sites of care. In his role, he serves as an internal strategist to support the development and execution of growth strategies across the HCA enterprise. Sartoris has over 17 years of experience in healthcare consulting, strategy, and operations. Prior to his current role, he worked in Deloitte Consulting’s healthcare practice, where he advised healthcare providers and health plans on strategic and operational challenges. He earned his B.S in Economics from Duke University and M.B.A. from Vanderbilt University.

Meals 4 Health and Healing, the signature program of The Heimerdinger Foundation, is a heart-centered, caring community preparing organic, immune-boosting, for anti-inflammatory meals free of charge for cancer patients undergoing cancer treatment and their caregivers. Since 2013, the nonprofit has served over 100,000 meals to hundreds of clients and their caregivers in Williamson and Davidson Counties.

Research shows that nearly 80% of cancer patients end up malnourished as a result of cancer treatment. Consuming nourishing meals can make a vital difference to cancer patients as they fight their illness and heal from treatment.

With an emphasis on serving those who are in crisis, who have little or no caregiving support, or who are financially unable to provide themselves with nutritious foods, the program elevates the recovery process for many who may be at high risk for malnutrition, which can slow down or stop treatment.

In addition, with over 250 active teen and adult volunteers participating in their program each year, the organization educates those volunteers about eating a “whole food” diet to reduce inflammation and to reduce the likelihood of chronic, inflammatory conditions like cancer. By educating patients, their families, and the adult and teen volunteers who provide the giving hands and hearts behind the organization’s mission, the seven-person team at The Heimerdinger Foundation is transforming the health and nutritional choices of countless people in middle Tennessee.

For more information about The Heimerdinger Foundation, visit hfmeals.org. Follow The Heimerdinger Foundation on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Donate to The Heimerdinger Foundation at https://hfmeals.org/donate/.

About The Heimerdinger Foundation: 
The Heimerdinger Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded in 2011, provides nutritious, organic meals and education, free of charge, for families facing cancer. Research shows that nearly 80% of people facing cancer end up malnourished as a result of treatment.

Being poorly nourished worsens side effects, reduces the effectiveness of or can stop treatment, and lengthens recovery time once treatment ends. Since its inception, the organization has served over 100,000 meals to clients and their caregivers in Davidson and Williamson counties and educated hundreds of volunteer adults and teens about proper, healing nutrition for life through its Meals 4 Health and Healing organic garden, kitchen, and meal delivery program.

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