As Phyllis on
The Young and the Restless, Michelle Stafford has often been described as a "home-wrecker." In real life, however, the 42-year-old actress is quite the opposite. In fact, she has been lending her name to a good cause, particularly to Project Cuddle, an organization that helps troubled pregnant women and saves abandoned babies.
Stafford met the organization's founder, Debbe Magnusen, at a party and since then, the
Young and the Restless actress has been introducing her to legislators with the Citizens Commission on Human Rights and has been working with her on various fund-raising events.
“She's really an extraordinary lady,” Stafford told
Soap Opera Digest of Debbe's mission , having fostered more than 30 drug-exposed babies and eventually adopting five into her own family.
“She told this story about a young girl being afraid to tell people she was pregnant. She ended up killing her baby and putting it in a dumpster. If that's going on in your life, [before you get to that point], you call Debbe, no questions asked. She'll place your child. It's all done aboveboard, and it's legal. She basically saves your baby for you,” she added.
As part of Project Cuddle, Stafford aims to help Debbe and to “stop women from [harming their babies], and to let them know there's a way to get help.”
“It's a nice feeling to see these children having a chance at a happy life, when it could have gone another way. And Debbe is the reason it didn't. It's really cool,” the
Young and the Restless star said.
Meanwhile, Stafford is working on a fund-raiser that would involve
The Young and the Restless.
“There's one in November in New York. I'm going to try to make it. I always donate a tour of [the]
Y&R [sets]. I'm actually working with Debbe to do an event to mix in soap opera,” she revealed.
-Kris De Leon, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source:
Soap Opera Digest
(Image courtesy of CBS)