Make a Film Foundation

I apologize for the long delay. I was in a bit of a funk for the last few weeks.
On Saturday, my dad and I took a trip out to Beverly Hills to volunteer for the Make a Film Foundation, a group created by Tamika Lamison whose work revolves around giving ill children the chance to fulfill their dreams by creating a film with real Hollywood actors. The event was a premiere of their latest release, Deep Blue Breath by Clay Beabout and starring Clay and Sean Astin. Along with a little general labor here and there, I got to be an usher for the event, which was fun. I got to converse with a lot of the people involved in the project, including little Clay himself.
Clay's film featured a dramatization of his battle with VACTERL association, a disease caused by associated birth defects. He has been through over 40 surgical procedures, which is staggering when you really think about how young the little guy is. He has had artificial ribs installed along his spine, along with other surgeries that were (understandably) not covered in detail.
The film itself was profoundly moving - it was written by Clay himself, so it provided a deep glimpse into what kind of hell he's endured and the apprehension that the next trip to the operating room might be his last. But he is, after all, a kid, so he doesn't make the movie a complete downer - the film includes an animated segment in which Clay battles Lord Vater (played by Ernie Hudson), a personification of the disease that dogs him, inside his own body with the help of Charger, the imaginary dog. Sean Astin of Rudy and The Lord of the Rings fame played Clay's father, and Natasha Gregson Wagner played his mother. It ran for about 14 minutes.
The premiere also involved a making-of documentary and a glimpse into the Make-a-Film Foundation as a whole. Turns out Elijah Wood was kind enough to give Clay acting lessons as the film was made.
When his film was over, Clay took the stage and took questions from the audience, awing the crowd with his charisma and sense of humor. For all he's been through, it's amazing that he's got such a sunny outlook on life. He put Charlie Sheen to shame; I wish I had recorded the conversation.
I will have pictures shortly, I hope.
Last night was the longest Angels game I've ever seen, complete with a rain delay and a trip to extra innings (thank you very much, Jordan Walden). Glad to know they can take at least ONE game from those Goddamn Red Sox this season.