Bearing Witness : Luke Melchior

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.

Walk through almost any neighbourhood, and behind one of those front doors you'll find a family caregiver. The numbers are staggering. Over 25 million North Americans are currently looking after elderly relatives with health problems. Shot over an entire year, Labour of Love shows the human side of caregiving - the loving bonds, the frustrations and heartaches, the mundane tasks and the constant fatigue. Labour of Love includes five intimate profiles of caregivers and their families. This special video takes us to the heart of what it means to be a caregiver, offering hope for everyone who is caring for a family member.

Dr Leora Kuttner, an award-winning filmmaker and an international expert in pediatric pain management, brings us this groundbreaking and comprehensive look at the emerging field of pediatric palliative care. At the film's heart are five remarkable young people who speak with profound clarity and wisdom about being alive and their approach to death. Layering their stories with interviews, the film is a unique portrait of how families and professionals can come together during a highly emotional time to share in decision making, address fears of death and provide hope. Dr Kuttner's films have been recognized by the Association for the Care of Children's Health, the Health Sciences Communications Association, and the National Council on Family Relations.