Labour of Love

Luke Melchior jokes that at least he doesn't have to watch his cholesterol intake. Already, at 26, he has lived longer than most people with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a progressive wasting of the muscles. Knowing his life will be relatively short has made Luke feel an urgency about making a lasting contribution. He lives independently, with the help of three homecare workers, runs a web-based business selling outdoor gear, and chairs the board of the Disability Resource Centre in Victoria, BC, where he is a passionate advocate for the rights of the disabled. Bearing Witness: Luke Melchior is a candid portrait of a year in Luke's life. Though his illness may set him apart, he is essentially a young man like so many others: concerned with making his way in the world, being as independent as possible and finding a girlfriend. Bearing Witness consists of three films, each approximately one hour long, on people with life-threatening illnesses. The series also profiles Jocelyn Morton, who died of liver cancer at 44, and Robert Coley-Donohue, who died of ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease) at age 74.

Robert Coley-Donohue has ALS, a fatal degenerative neuro-muscular disease that strikes two in 100,000 people. ALS--also known as Lou Gehrig's disease--struck the Coley-Donohue family twice, taking the lives of both Robert and his wife, Barbara. Bearing Witness: Robert Coley-Donohue follows Robert over the last three years of his life. A retired machinist, he is determined to make the most of his time. With his faithful dog Brandy usually at his side, he lives independently for as long as possible, going out for coffee with his best friend, taking care of his garden and walking on the beach. As Robert's physical abilities decline, tasks become harder. He is fitted with a feeding tube. Doing up a simple zipper becomes a challenge and, eventually, an impossibility. Robert's words become fewer, more carefully chosen and more difficult to understand. In his typically understated way, he says, "This slow deterioration is not fun. Not fun at all." With the help of homecare workers, Victoria Hospice and his three devoted children, Robert remains at home. But the ideal of staying and dying at home soon runs up against some harsh realities. Robert's 24-hour care is expensive, and organizing it becomes almost a full-time job for his children. Eventually, Robert decides to move to a hospital, where he spends the last nine months of his life. Robert's experience is arduous, but also filled with hope and healing. If, like Robert, we can face death with grace and the comfort of family and friends, then death will hold less fear.

Through four moving portraits, A House Divided sheds light on the tragedy of caregiver stress and elder abuse. The abuse takes many forms, ranging from willful neglect and financial exploitation to physical assault. With great sensitivity, this film portrays the emotional complexity of family relationships that can lead to abuse of the elderly, the anguish and isolation of its victims, and the tremendous need for community understanding and support.