Fans of All My Children alum Cameron Mathison (ex-Ryan Lavery) were super relieved when the actor announced that he is back to being completely healthy following his surgery for kidney cancer. He's now sharing more about the journey that led to the discovery of his ailment, including the reveal that he credits his latest Hallmark film, The Christmas Club, for helping save his life.
The actor, who hosts on the Hallmark Channel and corresponds for ET, shares with ET that the film inspired him to get the MRI that revealed his cancer.
"It was on this movie that I was like, 'This movie is about following the signs and really paying attention and being mindful,'" he says. "I came off this movie [thinking], 'I'm not going to ignore this anymore... That's what inspired me to go get a doctor's recommendation to get an MRI."
The resulting test led doctors to discover a tumor that had been growing on his kidney for around a decade. Luckily, doctors were able to remove the growth via surgery -- but things could have turned out very differently had The Christmas Club not inspired him to get the MRI in the first place.
"It saved my life," Mathison shares. "See? These Hallmark Christmas movies are more powerful than you know."
As the holidays approach, Mathison is happy to share that he's on the mend, and the upcoming Christmas season feels more special than any other.
"It seems like the first holiday season of this next phase of my life," he says. "I don't want to get corny, but it's almost like a second chance. A second chance at the holiday season."
And speaking of the holiday season, fans most certainly won't want to miss Mathison's upcoming film -- not just because it saved his life, but also because it's quite a special movie in its own right.
"I have a feeling it's going to be one of people's favorites," the actor shares of the film that also stars Elizabeth Mitchell. "It's one of those movies that's special. It's got humor, it's got love, it's got surprises, it's got romance, it's got everything -- and it's got Christmas!"
As Soap Central previously reported, the holly and jolly movie centers on Mathison in the role of Edward, a business consultant who meets complete stranger Olivia (Mitchell) when they both help an elderly woman find her lost Christmas savings. When Olivia's dance studio later goes up for sale, it turns out that Edward's client is the one who is buying it. Edward attempts to help Olivia by showing her another studio, but she haughtily refuses his offer, wanting to manage everything for her business by herself.
When Olivia's delayed loan comes through sooner than expected, she happily rushes off to share the good news with Edward. But her joy is shattered when she sees Edward hugging the loan officer. Completely humiliated, Olivia storms away after telling Edward that they can't have a relationship if he doesn't believe in her capabilities. Will the spirit of the holidays help the pair find their way back to each other?
Find out when The Christmas Club premieres on Wednesday, November 27, on the Hallmark Channel.
What do you think about Mathison's reveal that his latest Hallmark film quite literally saved his life? How much are you looking forward to watching The Christmas Club? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
