Hope is a four letter word
“Aphasia” the Movie
The film “Aphasia”, the true story of actor Carl McIntyre who, after suffering a massive stroke and losing his ability to read, write and talk, struggles against overwhelming odds to redefine his life.
I had the great pleasure to sit down and meet Jim Gloster (Producer/Writer/Director) and Donna S. Scott (Executive Producer) of the movie “Aphasia” last night at a local bar called Sir Edmund Halley’s in Charlotte, North Carolina. I was referred to these two wonderful people through a Twitter mixer many months back. Everyone at this meeting was telling me to get in touch with Jim and Donna and boy was I pleased to have this opportunity to speak with them about creating more awareness for PPA and Aphasia worldwide.
The movie is based on Jim’s friend of 20+ years named Carl, an actor who suffered a severe stroke on September 15th, 2005. Immediately following the stroke, Carl was virtually unable to speak, a condition know as Aphasia. Jim and Donna along with two other team members created this impactful movie to educate those within the medical community, those unaware of Aphasia’s symptoms, and to help bring a voice to patients and families fighting against this disease day-in & day-out.
More than 100,000 Americans develop Aphasia annually. Aphasia affects about one million Americans, or 1 in 250 people. It is more common than Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy or muscular dystrophy. However, most people have still never heard of Aphasia. While the most common cause is a stroke, Aphasia can also result from head injury, brain tumor, or other neurological causes.
In 2008, Carl began making presentations to Speech-Language Pathology classes about his experiences during the stroke and his subsequent recovery process. These engaging presentations also examine Carl’s technique of picture association which enables him to remember specific words.
It is the success of these presentations which sparked the idea for the film project and the development of other presentations. The success of the film “Aphasia” has led to Carl’s new career as a motivational speaker. He has captivated audiences nationwide with his inspiring story.
Both Jim and Donna travel across the United States as well as international locations such as Australia with Carl for speaking engagements where they screen their movie. Following the movie, Carl comes out and speaks to the audience about his story. There is also an ensuing Question and Answer session after his speech.
They have over 30 speaking trips planned in 2012 alone!
This was a tremendous honor to speak with both of these inspirational people who are doing everything in their power to help bring “Aphasia” onto the national stage. I know they will be successful with this project and their future endeavors.
Jim, Donna, and Carl will be showcasing their movie at ReelAbilities: New York’s Disabilities Film Festival on February 12th and 13th: http://newyork.reelabilities.org/films/view/aphasia
Please take a minute to “like“ their Facebook page at AphasiatheMovie
You can also follow them on Twitter @AphasiatheMovie
Lastly, Carl and the film can be booked through carlmcintyre.com.
