While it was not always a bed of roses for us while growing up and we would have had our fair share of challenges, for Kelvin Fortune he prayed for the good days since the bad ones were far outnumbering the good ones. Kelvin is almost 30 and is now about to share part of his story with the world, through his movie “Choices.”
As the name suggest, the movie is all about living with the consequences of our choices and how they affect the lives of, not only us, but also those around us. The movie is about a young man (Timothy) who is living a hard life with his single mother. He dreams of becoming an optician and while working with an optical company, he meets and falls in love with a young woman.
Like many youths, Timothy is head over heels but his mother disapproves because she knows of the girl’s character. The girl usually sleeps with men for money and material things but Timothy feels it is different with him and pursues her. After some time, the girl gets pregnant for Timothy and later discovers she is HIV positive but was living with Timothy at the time. What happens next will be revealed when “Choices” is released.
Like Timothy, Kelvin says some of the events in the movie are depictions of what occurred in his earlier life and the lessons he learned. At the tender age of six, Kelvin saw his family ripped to shreds when his father walked out and according to him, things only went downhill from there. His siblings would move on to live with his grandmother and aunts but he remained with his mother Patricia. 
He felt as though she needed someone to be there with her so he remained and it was the beginning of an unstable childhood for him. He attended the Smyth Street Nursery and later Ketley Primary School but because of the effects of his family life, his education suffered. He, despite having the potential, did not push himself.
“Everyone knows Kelvin was a bright child growing up but was faced with many difficult and painful challenges in life. Kelvin grew up in a family full of drama, disagreements and separation. His life was never stable around his family due to many personal problems around each other,” Kelvin says.
While preparing to sit the National Grade Six Assessment (the Common Entrance Examination), Kelvin got the shock of his life when he found out his mother was diagnosed with both cancer and HIV. Being young, he could not comprehend with the severity of his mother’s illness but knew her days were numbered.
“While I was going to school I would have to help bathe my mother, cook for her and wash her clothes while my siblings and other family lived a happy and normal life.”
In 2001, his mother collapsed in the apartment where they lived. Blood was gushing from her mouth and it was at that point Kelvin said he knew his mother were dying. On March 15, 2001, his mother passed on and though expected, the loss hit Kelvin harder than expected.
“While trying to cope with my mother’s death and still pursue my education, I still was trying to understand the continuous dispute and confusion among my family. My family was lack of love, kindness and understanding towards me,” Kelvin recounts.
Kelvin has a passion for entertaining people and making them laugh. He loves writing poems, short films, songs, drama and is into overall youth development.
His love for drama is what got him into the business, which led to him writing his first movie script.
For those who are thinking whether they should follow their passion or not, Kelvin advises them to forge full force ahead and realise their full potential. (Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)
