MarieleCahoon742
Los Angeles Film Festivals Show They Have Heart in 2013
Life Changing Moments, a moving documentary concerning the medical mission of yank surgeon Dr. Sherry Thomas to assist women in Uganda experiencing fistula has won two prizes at upcoming Southland film festivals: First place for optimum Documentary Short in the La Cinema Festival of Hollywood and 3rd invest the same category at the Sunset Film Festival of La.
A public screening of the film will be held at the Sunset Festival on May 12, 6 PM on the White Fire Theater, 13500 Ventura Blvd. Sherman Oaks, CA 91423. For tickets go to: https://sites.google.com/site/sunsetfilmfestivallosangeles/tickets
Also, at the same location in Sherman Oaks, the film will be shown as part of the LA Cinema Festival on July 3. For details and tickets, go: www.hollywoodcff.com/ In 2012, Dr. Thomas, that is another urogynecologist using a practice within the L . a . area, traveled to Uganda on the invitation of renowned African singer and women’s advocate Halima Namakula. Ms. Namakula asked Dr. Thomas for her assistance in treating impoverished females and their essential surgeries for fistula repair.
I knew what life was similar to a third world country, says Dr. Thomas, but I wasn’t prepared for what medical care was like. When I realized how easy it was to repair these women’s problems, I needed to help.
Dr. Thomas invited filmmaker Sandra Mohr and Los Angeles Times journalist Wendy Thermos with her around the trip to produce the a movie concerning the experience. The documentary follows Dr. Thomas’ efforts to provide free medical treatment to Ugandan women battling with fistula, a dent inside the birth canal due to prolonged labor which includes devastating consequences, both medical and social.
The nightmare of life with fistulas is rare in the western world because of our advanced health care. But in Africa, no less than 2 million women reside using this condition. Many times, the would-be mother becomes an outcast in her own community as a result of severe incontinence, and is rejected by her husband and left to languish alone without family or friends. Uganda has the 3rd highest rate of fistula in the world.
The film targets the medical and human journey of both as a famous and African woman through their experiences with fistula, showing how services in African countries match up against free airline. The 18-minute film can be seen on the non-profit organization’s website http://LifeChangingMoments.org.
In providing this life-changing surgery for your women of Uganda Dr. Thomas herself had a life-changing moment, and founded a non-profit organization, Life Changing Moments, to assist more women in Africa.
The cost with this kind of surgical procedures are only $50-$200 U.S. dollars per patient, Dr. Thomas said. And yet it is truly life-changing for women who are able to now be reunited with their families. Our online charity makes it easy to help and is also a powerful way to support the work continuing. Donations to the non-profit can be created at http://lifechangingmoments.org/category/donations/
Contact: Shirley Louis, 818/991-0988 Life Changing Moments e-mail: lifechangingmoments.org(at)gmail.com website: http://LifeChangingMoments.org. YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNIC-vkSlsg
