Local fundraiser for the Motor Neurone Disease Association, Debra Denney, joined up with the ACE Centre - a destination for arts, culture and enterprise in the region - to arrange one of the few screenings of the film in the North West on the 21st June.
I Am Breathing is a film about 34-year-old Neil Platt as he ponders the last months of his life. Within a year, he goes from being a healthy young father to becoming completely paralysed from the neck down, as a result of MND.
Knowing he only has a few months left to live, and while he still has the ability to speak, Neil puts together a letter and memory box for his baby son Oscar to tell the story of his life. His goal of raising awareness for this terrible disease was the purpose of this film and his blog, and excerpts from his blog have been used to narrate the film itself.
As an NHS worker, Debra’s involvement in MND started when she cared for a lady with the disease at Pendleside Hospice. So effected by the cruel and brutal nature of this condition, Debra started fundraising to fight back against an incurable disease that kills five people in the UK everyday.
This screening of I Am Breathing is the most recent of Debra’s many fundraising endeavours. Since 2004, she has raised over £8,000 for MND, climbing Mount Olympus, completing both the Mont Blanc and Inca trails, Debra is currently training to climb the three national peaks in 24 hours in August this year.
The avid fundraiser said, “Neil’s journey towards the end of his life is filled with emotion and wit, which should be an inspiration to us all. Please support this unique experience by attending a screening of I Am Breathing, which will be watched all over the world on the 21stJune.”
The screening starts at 7.30pm on Friday 21st June. Tickets are priced at £4.00 per person and are available from The ACE Centre, Cross Street. Nelson, Lancashire, BB9 7NN.
