9000 Needles -- A Story of Hope, Courage and One Family’s Unconventional Journey Toward Stroke Recovery; Pacific College Of Oriental Medicine to Host Free Screening
9000 Needles, the award-winning documentary that chronicles one man’s journey into health with the help of a mixture of Eastern and Western Medicine including acupuncture.
New York, NY, February 04, 2011 --(PR.com)-- The Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, the largest college of Acupuncture and Oriental medicine in the country will host a free screening of 9000 Needles on February 12, 2011 at 2:30pm at their New York Campus located at 915 Broadway (21st St.), 5th floor. The screening will be held during the college’s annual Chinese New Year Celebration.
The award-winning documentary chronicles one man’s journey into health with the help of a mixture of Eastern and Western Medicine including acupuncture. The documentary, filmed as a labor of love, benefits Devin Dearth, the patient featured in the film.
At forty-years-old, Devin Dearth, a successful businessman, loving husband, father of three, devout Christian, and champion bodybuilder lived with his family in the small community of Central City, Kentucky. He lived the ideal “American Dream” until suffering a devastating stroke that left him paralyzed on his right side, unable to walk, unable to speak without difficulty, and unable to care for himself or his family.
Facing dismal odds of recovery, Dearth and his family move unsuccessfully through the American health care system. With constrained resources, both financial and medical, and with Dearth’s window for recovery beginning to close, Dearth’s brother, Doug proposes they travel to Tianjian, China to participate in an affordable and promising rehabilitation program that integrated Western and traditional Chinese medicine.
Arriving in China, an aura of determination and surrender surrounded Dearth as he was immersed into a treatment program and philosophy unlike anything he had ever known. Surrounded by this new team of compassionate and mysterious medical alchemist a new life begins to seem possible. The trials he and his family endure along the way remind us that the human spirit can transcend any boundaries while exploring a universal community of healing and transformation.
The film, shot in a verité style takes the audience on the journey. “I wanted to embrace the unique opportunity to make a documentary as it was happening, and to have the viewer feel like they were right there as one of our family,” comments Doug Dearth, the patients brother and the filmmaker “I did not break out of this style to dig into the nitty gritty inner workings of the health care system, nor did I fully explore the “hows and whys” of traditional Chinese medicine. I really wanted the audience to have the same information that we did: Nothing more. Nothing less. Being in the same position as Devin and my family, the viewer must also trust the unknown.”
Aside from the obvious emotional heartbreak, the biggest obstacle in making 9,000 Needles for Doug Dearth was not knowing the outcome. “Everyone wants a miracle happy ending, but life is not always like that,” he notes. “Sometimes it is about the little victories along the way. Our challenge as human beings is to show up every day and to give it our best shot. And if we don’t get exactly what we want or expect, we show up tomorrow and try again.”
Admission to the screening is free, seating is limited on a first come first serve basis. R.S.V.P. is requested. Contact cneipris@pacificcollege.edu or 212-982-3456 x226 to rsvp or x229 with any questions.
www.pacificcollege.edu/images/stories/home_banner/NY_9000NeedlesFlier.pdf
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About Pacific College of Oriental Medicine
Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, the largest college of acupuncture and Oriental medicine in the country was founded in 1986 with the mission to educate and inspire students to become compassionate, skilled providers of patient-centered healthcare using traditional East Asian and integrative medicine. The school has campuses in New York, Chicago, and San Diego offering Associates, Bachelors, and Masters degrees. Studies include Acupuncture, Chinese Herbology, and Massage. The Pacific College Acupuncture Center in New York City treats over 700 patients a week in addition to providing acupuncture at off-site clinics in area hospitals and health clinics throughout New York.
The award-winning documentary chronicles one man’s journey into health with the help of a mixture of Eastern and Western Medicine including acupuncture. The documentary, filmed as a labor of love, benefits Devin Dearth, the patient featured in the film.
At forty-years-old, Devin Dearth, a successful businessman, loving husband, father of three, devout Christian, and champion bodybuilder lived with his family in the small community of Central City, Kentucky. He lived the ideal “American Dream” until suffering a devastating stroke that left him paralyzed on his right side, unable to walk, unable to speak without difficulty, and unable to care for himself or his family.
Facing dismal odds of recovery, Dearth and his family move unsuccessfully through the American health care system. With constrained resources, both financial and medical, and with Dearth’s window for recovery beginning to close, Dearth’s brother, Doug proposes they travel to Tianjian, China to participate in an affordable and promising rehabilitation program that integrated Western and traditional Chinese medicine.
Arriving in China, an aura of determination and surrender surrounded Dearth as he was immersed into a treatment program and philosophy unlike anything he had ever known. Surrounded by this new team of compassionate and mysterious medical alchemist a new life begins to seem possible. The trials he and his family endure along the way remind us that the human spirit can transcend any boundaries while exploring a universal community of healing and transformation.
The film, shot in a verité style takes the audience on the journey. “I wanted to embrace the unique opportunity to make a documentary as it was happening, and to have the viewer feel like they were right there as one of our family,” comments Doug Dearth, the patients brother and the filmmaker “I did not break out of this style to dig into the nitty gritty inner workings of the health care system, nor did I fully explore the “hows and whys” of traditional Chinese medicine. I really wanted the audience to have the same information that we did: Nothing more. Nothing less. Being in the same position as Devin and my family, the viewer must also trust the unknown.”
Aside from the obvious emotional heartbreak, the biggest obstacle in making 9,000 Needles for Doug Dearth was not knowing the outcome. “Everyone wants a miracle happy ending, but life is not always like that,” he notes. “Sometimes it is about the little victories along the way. Our challenge as human beings is to show up every day and to give it our best shot. And if we don’t get exactly what we want or expect, we show up tomorrow and try again.”
Admission to the screening is free, seating is limited on a first come first serve basis. R.S.V.P. is requested. Contact cneipris@pacificcollege.edu or 212-982-3456 x226 to rsvp or x229 with any questions.
www.pacificcollege.edu/images/stories/home_banner/NY_9000NeedlesFlier.pdf
###
About Pacific College of Oriental Medicine
Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, the largest college of acupuncture and Oriental medicine in the country was founded in 1986 with the mission to educate and inspire students to become compassionate, skilled providers of patient-centered healthcare using traditional East Asian and integrative medicine. The school has campuses in New York, Chicago, and San Diego offering Associates, Bachelors, and Masters degrees. Studies include Acupuncture, Chinese Herbology, and Massage. The Pacific College Acupuncture Center in New York City treats over 700 patients a week in addition to providing acupuncture at off-site clinics in area hospitals and health clinics throughout New York.
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Pacific College of Oriental Medicine
Angela Crawford
201-445-0996
pacificcollege.edu
Angela Crawford
201-445-0996
pacificcollege.edu
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