Organized into five segments, each approximately 12 minutes in length, the program depicts the real life challenges and heartbreaks, as well as the triumphs and strengths of five families who find themselves thrust into a world apart from the mainstream. Told through the eyes of parents raising these children, the film takes you into the lives of...

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Matt-  a  16-year-old with muscular dystrophy, facing a progressive terminal illness.	Eli- a six-year-old with autism, struggling with medical problems and self-injurious behavior.
Red Fawn- a Native American teen whose violent outbursts related to Fetal Alcohol Effects throw her into the justice system.	Blayre -a six-year-old, partially deaf and blind and with mental retardation, growing up in a close-knit African American family.

Nathan-  a teen with cerebral palsy entering adulthood as his parents face issues of placement outside of the home.

Ideal for in-service training, workshops
and seminars on topics of disability.
A must see for...


• Child welfare caseworkers, supervisors, administrators and case aides

• Social workers and social work students

• Medical professionals and medical students, including doctors, nurses, psychologists, speech pathologists, audiologists and therapists

• Teachers who have students with disabilities in the classroom

• Home health care workers and administrators

• Parent advocates and support groups

• New parents and families raising a child with a developmental disability

• Administrators of federal and state funding programs, including SSI and Medicaid

• Personnel involved in handicapped accessibility programs

• Medical libraries, health libraries, college and university libraries

• Anyone interested in social and cultural issues related to disabilities

This 58-minute documentary video, shot over the course of a year and a half, reels viewers into an unusually honest look at what it takes to raise a child with a disability in the context of a world designed to reward, "the fastest, the smartest, the most physically attractive..." Broadcast regionally on PBS, the program is co-produced by Sharon Thompson, Sixth Street Productions and Dr. Virginia Cruz. Dr. Cruz has spent more then 20 years in the research, study and education of issues relating to disabilities.

The program takes a no-hold-barred look at * family strengths and coping styles * the financial realities * medical complexities * emotional and physical tolls visited on families * educational issues * home health care issues * the importance and pitfalls of respite care * out-of-home placement * dangers of child abuse for this population * and many other issues.