Pink Dot (Gift of Life)

When I went on line to help my brother renew his driver license, I had no idea we will end up spending hours discussing what our preferences are after we each die. It all started with the question in the renewal application about donating organs. The little pink dot some of us affix to the back of our driver licenses to let the police and medics know we are an organ donor. It feels weird to listen to your younger brother tell you what his wishes are about his remains but it is a conversation we all should have.

Luckily for Natalie Cole, a young mother-to-be had! I just watched the videocast of an interview with Natalie Cole on Larry King Live. She was there to be interviewed about a book she has written, "Love Brought Me Back". This was a follow up visit to their previous program in March 2009 when she had shared her medical problem with the viewers. She had had kidney problems for years and was on dialysis. She had announced how she was on a long waiting list of hopeful people with similar dilemma. Somewhere out there, an expecting mother who was watching the show with her aunt turned to her and said, “she seems like a nice lady. I wish there was a way we could help her.” Lo and behold she died as she was giving birth to her child due to complications with the delivery. She had one of those pink dots on her driver license and had made sure everyone knew about it. Her aunt remembered how her niece was touched by Natalie Cole’s story and you can guess the rest. The young lady’s kidney was a “perfect match”. But when Natalie Cole was called in by the special unit at the Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, she was at her sister’s death bed and she refused to go to the hospital immediately! Natalie’s sister, Carole or Cookie as she was known, died the following day while Natalie was being given another chance for life by receiving a kidney from a dead woman! Sometimes, the circle of life can be quite awesome!


That donor lives on through the recipients of her organs. I wonder whether Nader or I will get the opportunity to act out what we discussed on the eve of his birthday a couple of weeks ago and more importantly if we will have the privilege to give the gift of life to someone. Nevertheless, I am glad we had the conversation.




Donate Life California 8213 Organ Tissue Donor Registry

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/about/donateLife/donateLife.htm

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In Celebration of Dance

Iranian.com

Havana Marking's documentary, "Afghan Star" portrays the "American Idol"-style television show in Afghanistan that had become a national obsession and the act of voting for ones favorite singer is in fact a new practice of democracy. The movie also examines the tribal culture of Afghanistan as reflected in the backgrounds of the four finalists (2 of them women) and the public's responses to their performances. The most intriguing contestant, Setara Hussainzada, is a defiant young woman from Herat in her early 20s. During her final performance, she flouts taboos by letting her head scarf slip and doing a brief little dance for which she received death treats!

The British award winning director of this film, Havana Marking, is presently making another documentary about Setara and what has happened to her since the competition.

"Afghan Star" took 2009 Sundance Film Festival by storm. It was nominated for "Grand Jury Prize" in the category of World Cinema Documentary and won the "Audience Award", as well as the "Directing Award", in the same category.

How would I top such reviews: " A remarkable documentary" - San Francisco Chronicle, "One of the most hopeful and heart-rending movies I've seen this year." - Boston Globe, "Fascinating and, when you see Afghan versions of Simon Cowell and Co. reacting to tryouts, a reminder of how fame and the thirst for it is the same in any language." - New York City Daily News


This is the link to an entry Havana Marking made on The Huffington Post in early 2009 after winning the awards. Who can summarize the whole experience better than her?

Click here for the TRAILER of the Afghan Star



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