Independent Lens: A Lion in the House

[NYadgal]

Posted: 6/21/06 at 11:07pm

A LION IN THE HOUSE follows the stories of five exceptional children and their families as they battle pediatric cancer. From the trauma of diagnosis to the physical toll of treatment, this series documents the stresses that can tear a family apart as well as the courage of children facing the possibility of death with honesty, dignity and humor. As the film compresses six years into one narrative, it puts viewers in the shoes of parents, physicians, nurses, siblings, grandparents and social workers who struggle to defeat an indiscriminate and predatory disease.


I just finished watching Part One.

Angels. Bless them.

It puts everything into perspective. Everything.

A Lion in the House

[DG]

Posted: 6/21/06 at 11:09pm

I worked for a while with pediatric AIDS patients - you learn so much. SO MUCH.

I'll have to try and see this.

[NYadgal]

Posted: 6/21/06 at 11:10pm

The series gets its name from an Isak Dinesen quote: “You know you are truly alive when you are living among lions.”

Pediatric cancer is the equivalent of living with a lion in the house. A LION IN THE HOUSE tells the stories of five children: Alex, a seven-year-old bundle of energy with dark eyes and curls; Tim, a mercurial, quick-witted 16-year-old with a thousand-watt smile; Justin, amiable and stalwart at 19 despite 10 years of fighting cancer; Jen, a serious, quiet six-year-old; and Al, a quicksilver, wry 11-year-old.

[brdlwyr]

Posted: 6/21/06 at 11:10pm

I heard the story on NPR - very powerful. I was in an adult ICU today, and it was poignant to me!