Sepsis Alliance Premieres Short Film on “Faces of Sepsis”
San Diego, California (PRWEB) May 21, 2014 -- Hundreds of thousands of people have read the moving, personal stories of sepsis victims and survivors at Sepsis Alliance’s Faces of Sepsis™ website. For the first time ever, those raw experiences can now be seen and heard in Faces of Sepsis, an original short film from Sepsis Alliance.
Sometimes called “blood poisoning”, sepsis is the body's often-deadly response to infection. While a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services singled out sepsis as the single most expensive condition treated in hospitals, fewer than half of Americans have even heard of the disease.
As part of its mission to increase sepsis awareness, Sepsis Alliance is releasing Faces of Sepsis, an emotionally-charged production that shows first-hand how sepsis can affect anyone at any time – from a family member to a neighbor, young or old, rich or poor.
The film features moving stories from Franchot, Edna and Joe, whose stories were originally featured in Sepsis Alliance’s FacesOfSepsis.org. Franchot talks about how his vibrant mother survived breast cancer only to experience a sudden, unexpected death from sepsis – a disease he’d never even heard of. A young mother named Edna recalls how she almost lost her infant son after he became ill with sepsis when he was just three weeks old. A sepsis survivor, Joe, recounts how he woke up after routine dental work to suddenly find himself in a hospital, fighting for survival from a life-threatening infection.
“We have been moved and inspired by these Faces of Sepsis,” said Thomas Heymann, Executive Director of Sepsis Alliance. “The response from survivors, bereaved family members and friends, as well as healthcare providers has been remarkable, and we knew we needed to take these stories to the next level.”
Faces of Sepsis was produced by DB Productions, an award-winning production company with deep experience helping healthcare-focused non-profit organizations tell their stories with power and impact through film. The production was financed through a Crowdrise crowdsourcing campaign, as well as unrestricted grants from bioMérieux, the Erin K Flatley Foundation, Medical Simulation Corporation, and Nanosphere.
“This original, beautifully-produced short provides a riveting trio of stories about a seldom-understood disease that robs more lives than breast cancer, prostate cancer, and AIDS combined,” added Heymann.
“In no uncertain terms, Faces of Sepsis drives home the point that sepsis is a medical emergency,” said Dr. Jim O’Brien, Sepsis Alliance Medical Director and Board Chair. “Sepsis requires urgent care to prevent death and disability. By watching these stories, the life that you save may be your own.”
Faces of Sepsis is now online, and can be viewed for free at:
The website also features nearly 300 Faces of Sepsis stories, as well as the opportunity for family members and survivors to share their own Faces of Sepsis story.
About Sepsis Alliance
Sepsis Alliance is the leading patient advocacy organization in North America, promoting awareness of sepsis. Sepsis Alliance's mission is to save lives by raising awareness of sepsis as a medical emergency. The organization hosts national events, distributes information, and conducts training and education on sepsis and its devastating effects. Sepsis Alliance promotes Sepsis Awareness Month in September, and will hold its annual Sepsis Heroes event on September 18, 2014. Sepsis Alliance also provides support by giving people affected by sepsis a forum to share information. Sepsis Alliance is a recognized 501(c)(3) charitable organization, and is a founding member of the Global Sepsis Alliance. For more information on Sepsis Alliance, please visit http://www.sepsisalliance.org.
About DB Productions
DB Productions is a full-service film production company with extensive experience serving a wide range of clients, foundations, not-for-profit organizations and corporations. From concept and storyboard through production, post-production and delivery, the DB Productions team shares a passion for communicating clients’ most important messages to their most important audiences in compelling films. http://www.dbproductionsnyc.com
Scott Carr, Sepsis Alliance, http://www.sepsisalliance.org, +1 (619) 232-0300, [email protected]
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