Travis Flores

Travis Michael Flores (born April 7, 1991) is an American activist, philanthropist, motivational speaker, actor and children's book author.[1][2] He has been featured in works such as Chicken Soup for the Soul, Readers Digest: Selections, Charlie's Cancer Rescue and The Lemonade Stand.[3][4] Flores has cystic fibrosis and has spoken very openly about it, having served as a spokesperson for various cystic fibrosis related fundraisers.[5][6][7][8] He is best known for his charitable work with both the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and has donated a majority of his book's proceeds to the two organizations. To date, he has helped to raise over half a million dollars for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.[9] Flores also established his own 501(c)(3) organization in 2005, which provides laptops to chronically ill youth in hospitals.[10][11]

Travis Flores
Flores in 2012
Born
Travis Michael Flores

(1991-04-07) April 7, 1991
Glendale, California, U.S.
Alma materMarymount Manhattan College
New York University
OccupationMotivational speaker, author, actor
Years active2004–present

When Flores was twelve years old, he began work with illustrator Michelle Ciappa to prepare his children's book, "The Spider Who Never Gave Up'', for publishing. In 2004, after the book was published when Flores was thirteen, he began a motivational speaking and book tour.[12] In the same year, June 18 was proclaimed by Mayor Michael Mullen as "Travis Flores Day" in Marietta, Ohio; a city near his hometown of Newport, Ohio.[13] A year later, Flores partnered with Disney to print an edition of his book for a Make-A-Wish Foundation event, in which two million dollars was donated to the charity.[14][15][16] The media attention and success of the event enabled Flores to extend his tour another two years.

Flores started college when he was sixteen years old and received his bachelor's degree in Acting from Marymount Manhattan College by the age of twenty. In 2010, during his work as an undergraduate student, he had the opportunity to work with Susan Batson on the Broadway workshops of the Tennessee Williams play, In Masks Outrageous and Austere. In 2012, the play opened at Culture Project theater in New York City, but Flores was no longer affiliated with the project.[17][18][19] While working in New York City, he attended New York University and graduated in Spring of 2013 with a master's degree in Fundraising.[20]

On March 3, 2015, Flores successfully received a double-lung transplant at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. Following the operation, he continued his work in entertainment and later underwent a second double-lung transplant on October 3, 2017, at the same medical facility.

In May 2019, Flores came out as gay on the CW series MyLastDays, making him the first person to ever come out on the network. [21]

Flores currently resides in Los Angeles, California with his partner. He continues to pursue his philanthropic outreaches, acting, and writing. His parents, Timothy and Teresa Flores, as well as his two siblings, Justin and Brandon Flores, live in Ohio.[22]

References
  1. http://www.themariettatimes.com/page/content.detail/id/548734/Students-get-inspirational-message.html?nav=5002, The Marietta Times, 2012 Archived 2013-06-30 at Archive.today
  2. travisflores.org, 2013
  3. http://www.northcoastuniversity.com/Lemonade_Photos.html
  4. www.sparkeythespider.com
  5. 13th Annual Battle Against Cystic Fibrosis Football Game, The News Center, Kristen Kirby, 2006
  6. BACF Basketball Classic Tonight, News and Sentinel, Steve Hemmelgarn, 2006
  7. Ohio Opens BACF Practice, News and Sentinel, Kerry Patrick, 2011 Archived 2013-06-30 at Archive.today
  8. Cheuvront Overcomes the odds, The News and Sentinel, Kerry Patrick, 2011 Archived 2011-11-16 at the Wayback Machine
  9. BACF surpasses 500K in Contributions, The News Center, Kerry Patrick, 2010 Archived 2013-06-29 at Archive.today
  10. Living Breathing & Succeeding with Cystic Fibrosis, Boomer Esiason Foundation, Jerry Cahill, 2009 Archived 2013-03-13 at the Wayback Machine
  11. Boy with cystic fibrosis grows up to help other children, News Net 5 Cleveland, Alicia Booth, 2010 Archived 2011-08-29 at the Wayback Machine
  12. Never Give Up!, The News Center, Denise Alex, 2005
  13. Travis Flores Day, The News Center, Shannon Radford, 2004
  14. Disney Presents $2 Million to the Make-A-Wish Foundation(R) During Star-Studded Fundraiser Aboard the Disney Magic Cruise Ship on the Eve of the 50th Anniversary of Disneyland, The Free Library, 2005
  15. Disneyland Park Update, Mouse Planet, Staff Writer, 2005
  16. Disney Presents $2 Million to the Make A Wish Foundation, Disney Hand Foundation, 2005
  17. http://www.playbill.com/news/article/160343-Shirley-Knight-Will-Star-in-World-Premiere-of-Tennessee-Williams-In-Masks-Outrageous-and-Austere Shirley Knight Will Star in World Premiere of Tennessee Williams' In Masks Outrageous and Austere, Playbill, Andrew Gans, 2012
  18. http://www.travisflores.org/#!as-an-artist/cjg9
  19. Students Learn About Careers, The News and Sentinel, Kate York, 2010
  20. Travis Flores Speaks at Parkersburg South High, Michael Erb, News and Sentinel, 2012
  21. Love in the Time of Chronic Illness: Gay and Married With Cystic Fibrosis , New Now Next, Nico Lang, 2019]
  22. Two Brothers One Cause, The News Center, Rachel Withers, 2007
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