9000 Needles
A Story of Hope, Courage and One Family’s Unconventional Journey Towards Stroke Recovery
At forty years old, Devin Dearth is a successful businessman, a loving husband, father of three, a devout Christian and champion bodybuilder. He and his family reside in the small community of Central City, Kentucky where they live the ideal “American Dream”.
That is, until Devin suffers a devastating stroke. Caused by a bleed in the brain stem, the stroke leaves him paralyzed on his right side and unable to walk, with difficulty speaking, double vision and inability to care for himself or his family. He has met his ultimate adversary: The limits of his own mortality.
Due to the lack of resources, both financial and scope of care, Devin’s health and window for recovery drastically slip backwards. In a desperate search for an answer, Devin’s brother Doug proposes they travel to Tianjian, China to participate in an affordable and promising stroke rehabilitation program integrating Western and traditional Chinese medicine to treat stroke victims.
Aside from the obvious emotional heartbreak, the biggest obstacle in making 9,000 Needles was not knowing the outcome. Everyone wants a miracle happy ending, but life is not always like that. 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.
“With healthcare in the United States being such a big issue these days, I felt it was important to share my family’s struggle to get Devin the care he needed. But I was also inspired to show their unwillingness to fall victim of our broken system, and demonstrate their courage in seeking an alternative solution.” ~ Director Doug Dearth
To learn more, visit: http://www.9000needles.com
