organ donation
D Tour: Rock-N-Roll Meets Organ Donation
April is National Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Month, so there’s no better time to revisit D Tour, the rock-n-roll film about bodily functions that premiered last season on Independent Lens.
D Tour follows the journey of Pat Spurgeon, a talented indie rock musician in the band Rogue Wave whose life becomes consumed with the care of his failing kidney. Spurgeon was born with just one kidney, which began deteriorating when he was in junior high school. He received a kidney transplant, but just as Rogue Wave starts to take off, that kidney begins to fail.
Recent Talkback About Independent Lens
Always thought-provoking, sometimes controversial, Independent Lens brings you documentaries, dramas, shorts and Web-exclusive projects made by independent thinkers. Check out some of the recent Talkback from viewers about films airing this month.
POWER PATHS
“In viewing this documentary, hearing and seeing the damage to the people in this area, just reinforces my belief that we all need to work smarter and harder to change our economy from the disastrous path corporations have put us on.”
Posted by: Beverly Franco on November 10, 2009
“I have been searching for some kind of good from people and became very excited and happy (while also releived) when I saw last nights program about the renewable energy. Now I know what path to follow. I am so proud of the American Native Indians. They’ve always been the morally good human species. Thank you for beings such an inspiration.”
Posted by: Polarbear on November 8, 2009
“I was particularily moved by the comment ‘We are the United States of America. There is no absence of resources or technology for us not to do the right thing.’ This should be a mantra for all Americans to lead the world to do the right thing.”
Posted by: Dan Knockel on November 6, 2009
Watch D TOUR on the PBS Online Video Player
Last week, D TOUR premiered on Independent Lens. The film chronicles musician Pat Spurgeon’s search for a living kidney donor and the challenges associated with finding a viable match.
Missed the broadcast? Don’t worry––the film is available to watch in its entirety for free until next Tuesday, Nov. 17, on the PBS online video player.
Also, be sure to check out the D TOUR companion website, which includes an interview with Pat Spurgeon, a Filmmaker Statement, and an organ donation Myths & Realities Quiz.
D TOUR Premiering Tonight on Independent Lens
“D TOUR goes in a couple of stunning directions, especially in the roller coaster final half hour.”
- NUVO Newsweekly
Pat Spurgeon has big dreams to make it as an indie rock musician. Just as his career is about to take off, he suffers an incredible setback when one of his kidneys begins to fail. Follow Pat on his emotional search for a living organ donor. But can he balance his health with a rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle?
D TOUR premieres tonight, November 10, at 10:00 PM on Independent Lens on PBS (check local listings).
Maggie Gyllenhaal Discusses Organ Donation and D TOUR
Here is a shocking statistic: on average, 18 people die everyday waiting for an organ transplant.
Watch the exclusive video below with Independent Lens host Maggie Gyllenhaal who discusses D TOUR, which chronicles musician Pat Spurgeon’s search for a living kidney donor and the challenges associated with finding a viable match. The program will air on November 10 at 10:00 PM on Independent Lens on PBS (check local listings).
Spurgeon’s story highlights the need to regularly monitor kidney health for those who are in at-risk categories.
Learn more about kidney disease, organ donation and the film >>
D TOUR Events Draw Potential Donors and Increase Awareness of Organ Donation
D TOUR director Jim Granato and June R. Wallace, Community Affairs Coordinator, California Transplant Donor Network at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center
Throughout the month of September, Community Cinema presented free preview screenings of the documentary D TOUR. Each of the 36 events between September 1 and September 29 connected audience members with information about local organ donation registries and shared the stories of transplant recipients and the donors who saved their lives. The emotionally moving film follows indie rock drummer Pat Spurgeon on a “dialysis tour” as he waits for a kidney transplant match and tours with his band, Rogue Wave. The film lead to many deeply personal and heartfelt discussions with speakers afterward. When D TOUR airs nationally on PBS on the Emmy Award winning series Independent Lens on November 10, 2009 (check local listings) you can still easily connect with the local donor registry in your area.
And, you should. The need is dire. Every 13 minutes another person is added to the national organ transplant waiting list. One in nine American adults— more than 20 million –have kidney disease, and most don’t know it. Nationally, about 106,000 people are awaiting transplants of all kinds. In the Puget Sound region around Seattle there are over 1600 people waiting. In the DC area alone, there are nearly 2,000 people waiting desperately for an organ to save or enhance their lives. More than 3,400 individuals live in the New England region waiting for a life-saving organ transplant. 20,000 people on the wait list live in California.
Every D TOUR event gave audience members a chance to hear the local stories of transplant recipients, donors, doctors, nurses, and/or those living their lives while waiting for a life-saving organ transplant.
Community Cinema Screening of D TOUR in Chicago
Over the weekend, Community Cinema screened the Independent Lens film D TOUR. The film chronicles musician Pat Spurgeon’s search for a living kidney donor and the challenges associated with finding a viable match. Find out what happened at the screening from Regional Outreach Coordinator Naomi Walker.
I met Evan Farrell, former Rogue Wave bassist, several years ago when I was visiting an old friend in Bloomington, IN. My friend played in a bluegrass combo with him (they also worked construction together to pay the bills). Evan is not someone you can forget. He was an in-your-face kind of guy with an infectious lust for life. You got the feeling that if things ever got dull, Evan would shake it up in a hurry and not allow complacency to set in anywhere he was at. That was in my previous life, back when I worked at a record label.
Having been involved in the underground arts and music scene, I am well aware of the health issues faced by struggling artists. Each month there is a benefit at some venue in town for a musician dealing with health care costs. So it was especially important to me that our post-screening discussion included not only the crucial story of organ donation, but also to pass along resources for uninsured or under-insured artists.
I found out about the work of Dr. David Hinkamp and his Health in the Arts program at the University of Illinois at Chicago. With a background in occupational health, Dr. Hinkamp cares very deeply about the health of artists, including touring musicians. He LOVED the film––and watched it three times.
Q&A with Indie Musician Pat Spurgeon at Community Cinema Screening in Philadelphia
On Wednesday, September 23 at 6:30 PM, the College of Physicians of Philadelphia will host a Community Cinema screening of D TOUR with a special “Skype appearance” afterward by Pat Spurgeon from the indie rock band Rogue Wave.
D TOUR chronicles Spurgeon’s search for a living kidney donor and the challenges with finding a viable match. Learn about the myths and facts of organ donation from a panel of local experts and get a chance to ask Spurgeon questions about his life, what he’s learned and how he’s moving forward. Staff and volunteers from the Gift of Life Donor Program will also be on hand to sign up organ donors and answer your questions.
Donate Life California and ITVS Partner for D TOUR Community Cinema Screening
Currently there are more than 100,000 people waiting for a life-saving organ transplant, of which 20,000 on the wait list live in California. Due to a lack of donors, 18 patients die every day awaiting a second chance at life.
Donate Life California and ITVS have recently partnered to spread awareness about organ donation for the upcoming Community Cinema screening of D TOUR in Oakland, CA at 6:00 PM, September 23, at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center. The film chronicles musician Pat Spurgeon’s search for a living kidney donor and the challenges associated with finding a viable match.
Taking a few minutes to register as an organ and tissue donor can mean a lifetime to someone else.
For those living in California, register on the Donate Life California Web site >>
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