This Monday, Simon Kilmurry, executive producer of POV, and Aubrey Gallegos, Community Engagement & Education manager, traveled to Washington D.C. for a congressional screening of The Genius of Marian (POV 2014) in the Congressional Auditorium of the Capitol Hill Visitor’s Center.
We were thrilled to welcome actor and activist David Hyde Pierce and Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) to speak at the event. Upon meeting, Pierce and Stabenow immediately engaged in a heartfelt and lively discussion about how to raise awareness and to offer more support to those affected by Alzheimer’s. Pierce has a very personal connection to Alzheimer’s, having lost both his grandfather and his father to the disease, and has been working on the issue for more than twenty years. Senator Stabenow then spoke about her work with Alzheimer’s and the importance of raising awareness and increasing support. Both Senator Stabenow and David Hyde Pierce have been honored by the National Alzheimer’s Association for their work promoting Alzheimer’s research and care.
After the film, Devon White Angelini, Pam White’s daughter, spoke about the progression of her mother’s disease and answered questions from the audience. Ed White, Pam’s husband, was also planning to join the Q&A but feared getting stuck in D.C. with the predicted winter storm. As Pam’s primary caregiver, he can’t leave her for more than a couple days. Devon talked about the importance of having professional home caretakers, and said that Ed works very well their home caretaker, who has been a huge help for the family in caring for Pam. When asked how people can get involved, Devon brought up The Genius of Caring, a web based interactive story sharing project, with documentary portraits of caregivers and a place for visitors to share stories and connect with others.
We are so grateful to all who braved the weather to attend the event on Monday. And a big thank you to Senator Stabenow and her staff, David Hyde Pierce, the White family and The Genius of Marian film team for making the event such a success. For more information on the Genius of Caring, visit http://geniusofcaring.com/.
To download free resources and host your own screening, visit The Genius of Marian Partner Toolkit.
