Film Festival Screening of “More to Live For” to Benefit 18-Month-Old Winslet Seoighe

March 29, 2011 - PRLog -- Film Festival Screening of “More to Live For” to Benefit 18-Month-Old Winslet Seoighe - Local cancer survivor, James Chippendale, featured in film, gives back to his hometown

Who
Dallas International Film Festival’s screening of “More to Live For”

What
Benefit screening for 18-month-old bone marrow transplant recipient Winslet Seoighe

James Chippendale has a number of credits that follow his name: movie star, cancer survivor, bone marrow transplant recipient, The Love Hope Strength Foundation (the world’s leading rock ‘n’ roll cancer foundation) co-founder, Emmy nominated television correspondent,  Baylor Hospital spokesperson and CEO, but perhaps the most important credit that follows his name is philanthropist. When Chippendale heard of the battle 18-month-old Winslet Seoighe was fighting, he immediately reached out to help and said he would love to use his film, “More to Live For,” as a fundraiser for the Children’s Organ Transplant Association in honor of Winslet. Giving back to a family in the city where he was raised and cured was very important to him. Baby Winslet is eight weeks post bone marrow transplant. “It just makes sense for us to join forces with Winslet. The film is about three men who all need a bone marrow match, and here we have a little girl who just completed her transplant,” Chippendale said.

Following the screening of “More to Live For,” audience members will have the opportunity to join the international bone marrow registry through the Love Hope Strength Foundations "Get on the List" campaign. The process only takes about five minutes and is no more than a simple cotton swab of the cheek.  

When
Friday, April 8, 2011 7 PM

Where
Highland Park Village Theater
47 Highland Park Village, #200
Dallas, TX 75205-2741

Cost
$30 per person
A limited number of tickets are available. Reservations are highly encouraged as there are a very limited number of tickets available. Email your name, address and contact information to MoretoliveforWinsletS@gmail.com by April 5. Cash payment will be accepted at the door.

Details
“More to Live For,” directed by Noah Hutton (son of Timothy Hutton and Debra Winger and grandson of the late Jim Hutton), is the story of three lives, all shaken by cancer and dependent upon the one vital bone marrow match that could save them. These individuals are similar only in their fate and prolific accomplishments: Michael Brecker, a 15-time Grammy winner and one of the greatest tenor saxophonists of all time; James Chippendale, entertainment executive and founder of The Love Hope Strength Foundation, the largest music centric cancer charity in the world; and Seun Adebiyi, a young Nigerian training to become the first ever Nigerian winter Olympic athlete in any sport. Their unrelated paths become connected in a desperate fight for survival and a singular mission — to bring awareness about bone marrow donation to the millions of people who could save a life today. A film of tragedy and loss, strength and hope, “More to Live For” presents the stories of three individuals facing life and death, and their commitment to making a difference. These deeply personal accounts of confronting illness will inspire hope and action, leaving the viewer empowered to become part of the cure.

Winslet Seoighe was born via a life-saving emergency C-section on October 5, 2009. She weighed just 4 pounds, 8 ounces, was resuscitated in the delivery room and critically ill with only 33% of the blood volume she should have had. She was very sick, and her vital organs were shutting down. She fought her way back to health during a seven-week stay in the NICU, but there was one major lingering problem — Winslet was not making blood. Since then, the 18-month-old has had nearly 40 blood transfusions…and counting. At a loss for a diagnosis after sending her blood and biopsies literally around the world for testing — from the Mayo Clinic to Harvard to Yale to Johns Hopkins and, finally, to a specialty lab in Israel — doctors now refer to her condition as Winslet’s Disease. Winslet's only chance for a cure was a life-saving bone marrow transplant. She was one of the lucky ones. Doctors found a 6/6 match from the National Marrow Donor Program cord blood bank. Over a seven-week period, Winslet endured eight days of intensive chemotherapy in preparation for her bone marrow transplant, which took place February 3, 2011. Winslet faces another 17 months of recovery before doctors can determine if the transplant was a success. While bone marrow transplant costs are expected to be over $1.2 million, the family is facing ongoing, out-of-pocket transplant-related expenses estimated at $500,000.

The Seoighes have established a website, www.COTAforWinsletS.com, that provides users access to Winslet’s journal (written in the voice of 18-month-old Winslet), photo albums, activities and events, media coverage and access to information on how the public can financially help (100 percent of the raised funds go to COTA in honor of Winslet).

Following the screening of “More to Live For,” audience members will have the opportunity to join the International Bone Marrow Registry Program.

Media Opps
James Chippendale and Winslet’s parents are available for interview opportunities.

Important Links
More to Live For: www.moretoliveforfilm.com
Film Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPHljNdPGFc


Love Hope Strength: http://lovehopestrength.org
Winslet’s Website: www.cotaforwinslets.com

Contact
Jo Trizila
TrizCom Inc.
jo@TrizCom.com
Office: 972-247-1369
Cell: 214-232-0078

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Winslet Seoighe was born via a life-saving emergency C-section on October 5, 2009. She weighed just 4 pounds, 8 ounces, was resuscitated in the delivery room and critically ill with only 33% of the blood volume she should have had. She was very sick, and her vital organs were shutting down. She fought her way back to health during a seven-week stay in the NICU, but there was one major lingering problem — Winslet was not making blood. Since then, the 18-month-old has had nearly 40 blood transfusions…and counting. At a loss for a diagnosis after sending her blood and biopsies literally around the world for testing — from the Mayo Clinic to Harvard to Yale to Johns Hopkins and, finally, to a specialty lab in Israel — doctors now refer to her condition as Winslet’s Disease. www.cotaforwinslets.com