Today's Hero: Patrick O'Brien

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Visit his site http://www.patrickobrienfoundation.org  Patrick O'Brien was 30 years old when he noticed involuntary shaking in his leg. The successful film maker was soon diagnosed with ALS. As a film maker for MTV, VH1 and many others, he had just begun his search for the perfect story about the disabled, when he decided to turn the camera on himself...” Patrick, thank you for sharing your story and your incredible talents – we encourage everyone to follow the link at the bottom of the page to view Patrick's work. To Everyone – a very happy Thanksgiving. Know that you will be on our minds and in our hearts today! *Be Well, Team 2175 _________________________________________________________________________________ About Patrick Patrick has had a successful commercial career on TV and the web, creating unique stories for Spike TV, AOL, IBM, MTV, MICROSOFT and WARP RECORDS with his own brand of darkly humorous and sometimes controversial films and animations. His independent projects are seen by millions every year on TV and the internet. Patrick was diagnosed with ALS on May 24, 2005 and it was at this point that he decided to embark on his feature length documentary film, entitled "October 5, 1974?". My name is Patrick. Sometime during the fall of 2004, I noticed an involuntary shaking in my legs. For a long time the exact cause eluded definition. On May 24th, 2005, however, I was officially diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease), a terminal disease that results in the progressive degeneration of the nerves and muscles responsible for voluntary movement. It is a fatal and incurable disease. I was 30 years old. About the Film: Feature length documentary: 75 minutes Treatment: "Everything Will Be Okay" If you were given 2-5 years to live, what would you do? My name is Patrick. Sometime during the fall of 2004, I noticed an involuntary shaking in my legs. For a long time the exact cause eluded definition. On May 24th, 2005, however, I was officially diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease), a terminal disease that results in the progressive degeneration of the nerves and muscles responsible for voluntary movement. It is a fatal and incurable disease. I was 30 years old. As evidenced by the film segments on this website I have chosen to do something with my illness. Over the course of 2006 and 2007 I will document my journey with ALS on 35mm motion picture film. This challenge has given me a focal point to channel my energies, and will hopefully inspire others to keep moving through their own adversities. At this point in my life my intention is to be at peace with myself, and to pursue my life's work of making a feature film about something which reaches for the truth. All of my adult life, I have been making films - films about unconventional characters, stories about vulnerable souls. Now, in the last years of my life, the film I am making, the character I tried so hard to write all these years, the story which eluded me on paper, is unfolding across my body, inside my nervous system, and in front of my eyes. I have become the character in the film which I have been striving to bring to the screen all these years. Please help me complete my life's work by donating to the completion of my film. Your contribution will make a difference in the way our government and our world sees this ugly, spirit punishing, insidious illness. By bringing attention to this fatal diagnosis, victims, their families, and their communities will benefit from a shift towards better resources, more accurate healthcare policies, and improved treatment options. By donating now, you will be a founding member and key part of a landmark motion picture about the impact of ALS - what it means to be alive, what it means to die, and what is important in life.  Patrick's Trailer and Video Clips Patrick O'Brien Foundation __________________________________________________________________________________   Please donate $1 to 2175 for ALS today!                                               __________________________________________________________________________________