Aahana Swrup
In ‘Lucca’s World,’ director Mariana Chenillo takes the audience on a heartwarming journey about a family that takes on the challenges of their oldest kid’s Cerebral Palsy condition. The Spanish film centers around Bárbara Anderson, a journalist and a mother who is trying to stay on top of her son Lucca’s various medical complications. She is desperate to ensure she’s doing everything for her kid—which compels her to put all her eggs in one basket when she learns about an experimental treatment from India. The treatment revolves around the Cytotron, a machine made by Dr. Kumar that can help Lucca with his adverse epilepsy.
Consequently, even though the expensive medical trip to India promises to bring financial strain upon the family, Barbara and her husband, Andres, undertake the daunting task. The true-story-inspired film excels in showcasing the nuances of parenthood that come with having a child with a chronic disability. As a result, the real-life counterparts behind Barbara and Andres vastly inform the authenticity of their on-screen depictions.
Barbara Anderson is an Activist for People with Disabilities
After beginning her career in journalism, Barbara Anderson soon become a vocal advocate for disability rights after the birth of her son, Lucca. Her eldest was diagnosed with infantile cerebral palsy at a young age and has had to undergo the various challenges that come with it ever since. Naturally, this drove Barbara to fight for accessibility, equality, and more for her son. One of the most notable achievements she accomplished through her activism remains her contribution to bringing Dr. Rajah Kumar’s groundbreaking technology, Cytotron, to Mexico. She achieved this feat in 2018—a year after her family undertook a trip to India to begin the first round of Lucca’s treatment.
Apart from this, Barbara has also undertaken various other ventures that have had an effect on the betterment of people with disabilities. In 2013, she founded Yo Tambien with her fellow journalist collaborator Katia D’Artigues. The online Mexican portal provides inclusive news and information on a variety of human rights issues and has led the two founders to several achievements over the years. Barbara also won a lawsuit against Ticketmaster, the well-known ticket sales and distribution company, in 2019.
It directly resulted in the company making changes that fixed its accessibility issue worldwide. As a result of Barbara’s various contributions to the community, Universidad del Valle de México awarded her the Journalist for Social Change award in 2020. Furthermore, she serves as the treasurer for Mexico’s Board of Trustees of the Cerebral Palsy Association. Thus, the journalist’s devoted efforts toward making the world a better place for her son, Lucca, have brought several remarkable changes that continue to serve and benefit the community.
Barbara Anderson is a Celebrated Author and Journalist Today
Similar to Barbara Anderson’s accomplishments as an activist, her career as a journalist and writer also remains inspiring. She started out as a finance editor and columnist for Expansión magazine, along with various other stints in a number of publications. As such, she has built her reputation as a recognizable name in the journalism industry. Her work through Yo Tambien adds to her continued success. These days, she’s best known for The Anderson Report, an online company that specializes in bringing varied content about current affairs and more. Currently, she’s the writer and Diversity/Inclusion Specialist for the report, which she often shares through her social media platforms. Additionally, she also serves as a member of Mexico’s International Women’s Forum.
On the other hand, Barbara also has a flourishing career as a Spanish author, jumpstarted through her biographical book, ‘The Two Hemispheres of Lucca.’ In her debut novel, she shares the story of her and her family’s trip to India, focusing on Lucca’s experiences with the Cytotron treatment. Since then, she has published her second book, ‘(In)visibles,’ which talks about disability in Mexico through portraits of a number of individuals with disabilities. From paralympic athletes to politicians, businessmen, and regular Joes, the novel offers a unique perspective into the reality of living with a disability. As a result, it won Barbara the Latino Book Awards’ Silver Medal in 2023. Apart from this, she also continues to participate in interviews and podcasts to engage with the public and her fans.
Barbara and Andres Anderson Brought Cytotron to Latin America
Barbara and her family played a passively significant role in spreading awareness about Dr. Rajah Kumar’s Cytotron and bringing it to other countries. However, they are also responsible for the more direct introduction of the technology to Latin America. After the Andersons found a miraculous treatment in Cytotron, they decided to take measures to bring the treatment to others who might benefit from it as well. Therefore, once the technology debuted in Mexico, they worked on building their own project around it.
In 2019, Barbara and Andres co-founded Kumar Center, the exclusive Cytotron technology treatment center in Mexico City. The medical center serves to bring the technology to the whole of Latin America. Since its establishment, Kumar Center has already treated dozens of patients in tissue engineering, with a focus on oncological treatments. Meanwhile, even outside of their professional endeavors, the couple remains a notable voice in the activism community of Mexico. The recent premiere of ‘Lucca’s World’ has offered the couple and their two kids, Lucca and younger son, Bruno, the opportunity to further spread awareness about cerebral palsy, its possible treatments, and the reality of chronic disability.
Read More: Lucca’s World: Is Dr. Kumar Based on a Real Person? Where is He Now?
