Silent Cries: Breaking Through CHD Awareness

Premiering August 6, 2019, Silent Cries: Breaking Through CHD Awareness is Phillip Wolf's latest documentary. With over forty types of CHDs, Silent Cries: Breaking Through CHD Awareness is produced to focus on children and adults born with heart defects and how they have inspired other families and individuals to never give up and continue their fight. There is hope, and advancements in technology are evolving rapidly, yet a cure seems elusive. Many CHDs (congenital heart defects) go undetected until later in adult life.

Join Anna today as she interviews the creator and producers of Silent Cries. Phillip Wolf was inspired to create this documentary due to the death of his son, Jeremiah, from his congenital heart defect. Executive Producer/Producer Nicole Vickery was born with a congenital heart, as was Co-Producer David Franco. They share with Anna why they became involved with this project and why it's important for everyone to watch this documentary.

Silent Cries: Breaking Through CHD Awareness will be available on Amazon Prime Video. For more information, check out Phillip Wolf's website: http://www.pwfilms.net/

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Transcript

spk_0:   0:00
the average first time in the Senate. Shoemaker completes their first film about five years. Ours took about six and 1/2 years from start to finish, and I felt like throwing in the towel many, many times.

spk_1:   0:20
Welcome to heart to heart With Anna. I am an age Warsi and a host of your program. We're in our 14th season, and we're happy you could join us today. Today's show features Philip Wealth, and our episode is entitled Silent Prize Breaking Through CHD Awareness. Philip Wolf was born in Dallas, Texas. He grew up in Carrollton, Texas, at the age of 10. He received his first Panasonic camcorder, which recorded two VHS tape and made short her movies. He edited his movies in the camera itself since he had no editing software. He created movies with the camera through his high school graduation May 17th 1997. Philip married patients and their first child, Jeremiah, was born on March 2nd, 1999. Jeremiah was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and survived to 14 and 1/2 months.

spk_2:   1:12
Jeremiah's loss has inspired Philip to Panama more and a Children's book, but he's on the program today to talk to us about his latest big project. Today we'll be talking with Philip about his documentary Silent Cries Breaking Through CHD Awareness Welcome to Heart to Heart with Anna Philip.

spk_0:   1:32
I appreciate you having me here on today.

spk_2:   1:34
Oh, I'm so excited for us to talk about this project. I know it has been years in the reckoning, so let's go ahead and start by talking about your title. Silent cries. What does that mean to you?

spk_0:   1:48
Cries to me, really has a double meaning, the first being something personal to me. When my son Jeremiah was born, he had to be resuscitated immediately after birth, then ventilated either lungs or too weak to function on their own. Do this heart defect you have mentioned before diagnosis Hypo Plastic Left Heart syndrome. He was heavily sedated and taken into surgery at about 12 hours old complete the first of a three stage surgical procedure for this heart defect, the first being called the Norwood procedure. Later, he needed a tracheostomy for the remainder of his life patients, and I never don't cry.

spk_2:   2:31
That's okay. I can't I can't even imagine how difficult that would be to have your son be trait and to really not be able to your him great. That's not the way it's supposed to be with the baby,

spk_0:   2:45
all right. Later, he needed a tracheostomy. So for the remainder of his life patients, I never heard him cry. It was more of Harry airflow that we could hear coming from them later, whenever he cried or even sometimes laugh. That's all we heard. The second meaning behind sonic cries build out to all the families who may be afraid, are not ready to share their stories or experiences regarding PhDs and what goes on while taking care of their baby want ch d. I wanted to help them be that boy's to express feelings and emotions to the general population. When it comes to caring for a baby with a PhD where the child is living in the hospital more, they're being cared for at home and how I feel I'm being that Royce. For other CFC families, there's through my talent as a video producer and a writer. Education awareness. So what? I believe key factors in getting the word out to those who may have never heard of congenital heart defects, not alone the acronym PhD.

spk_2:   3:50
Right? So many acronyms that gets thrown around. And I think your decision to honor your son by doing something as amazing as creating a documentary is just remarkable. What made you decide a documentary, though I mean you wrote a memoir, you wrote a Children's book? Why a documentary

spk_0:   4:11
based on mining patients Experience with Jeremiah were left in the dark from beginning. We have never heard of CHD and didn't know what to expect when Jeremiah was born. We were suddenly making life, changing decisions every minute, every day. Yeah, as young parents, we have no idea where to turn to. For Hill, it's up to the hospital staff. Parenthood was coming later for us. We had become nurses educating ourselves by observing and assisting the hospital staff in the care for Jeremiah. No, 10 years later, with technology would finally come around and unfortunately, too late for us,

spk_2:   4:47
Right?

spk_0:   4:47
Jeremiah have passed because I needed a new heart. But after the grieving process settled, I woke up one day and felt the other families his child for the touch by CST need to be aware of this number one birth defect. I don't want to see family struggle in the way patients and I did so like you said previously on our self publishing them or in 2000 and two and went into detail about my experiences. And then one day in 2010 one of my fellow classmates from film school had approached me. But the idea of making my story into the moon to make a long story short I have done some previous work on our other video projects with another classmate, then was Kevin Johnson, and I began producing the short film called Silent Cries for Pro Bono, and this was a 20 minute film. It was focused specifically on one defect, which was highly plastic left heart syndrome, and at the time, that's the only defected I knew more about. And that's what I wanted to focus on. So we released the pilot episode, get that sinister and released the film festivals in 2012 and I was picked up in Los Angeles and it won first place in the L category.

spk_2:   5:54
I went out

spk_0:   5:55
there so we're excited about that.

spk_2:   5:58
Sure,

spk_0:   5:58
and the whole reason behind that zoom was just ah, try to so what we want to film as a feature film, which is where this production comes into play here. And I began working on the production of this film on a very, very little budget. We were struggling the fund, the project in order to move forward. And it wasn't until 2014 when the coal victory discovered our project on a crowd funding and pain on Indiegogo and she contacted us. She wanted to help to the film through because it's touched her in some way as well. So sonic cries breaking through CST awareness began a new phase in preproduction, and we took it through three different concept, several different titles, lot of sleepless nights

spk_2:   6:40
I could just about Oh my God is a lot of you creative types. And I know Nicole and I have had a number of conversations and with David, too, in the wee hours of the morning, because that's how so creative people function. Well, they're up at midnight and one o'clock in the morning. So this has been such a work of passion for you. It sounds like you've had a number of obstacles to overcome that what have been the greatest obstacles for you to overcome

spk_0:   7:08
the most challenging obstacle. They always held up the production of the film with the lack of funding to advance into full production of the movie. One of the hardest parts of making a feature length film as an add an independent filmmaker is some funding. I was once told in film school. The average first time in the Senate Simulator completes their first home about five years now are strict about six and 1/2 years from start to finish. And I felt like throwing in the town many, many times. Nobody's seen this film. That's probably the hardest probably I've ever worked on. So many factors go into making a move. The general audience. I have no idea half of the things they're involved, it's not just pick up the camera she didn't distribute. It's a jigsaw puzzle with several missing pieces you never knew you needed in order to complete the picture.

spk_2:   7:55
Ah, OK, yeah, that makes sense. And I think you're right. The average person who doesn't know how to make a film has no idea how many people, how much time how many different jobs there are involved in making that future turn out the best it can be. And since this is a work from her heart, I know you wanted to make it the best. It could be

spk_0:   8:19
spending so much time and energy and got burned out a lot and frustrated my hung

spk_4:   8:26
in there, and we all did. And here we are today, our dream has become a reality and about to

spk_0:   8:30
distribute to the general population

spk_4:   8:33
takes this hot industry. We're offering us a mechanical hot, and he said, now that I've had enough to give it to someone worthy, my father promised me a golden dressed. It's World held my hand and asked me where I wanted to go. Whatever strive for conflict that we experienced in our long career together was always healed by humor.

spk_5:   8:54
Heart to heart With Michael Please join us every Thursday at noon, Eastern as we talked with people from around the world who have experienced those most difficult moments,

spk_1:   9:05
you are listening to heart to heart with Anna. If you have a question or comment that you would like to address Donald Show, please send an email to Anna Dworsky at Anna at heart to heart with anna dot com. That's Anna at heart to heart with anna dot com now back to heart to heart with them Before

spk_2:   9:25
the break, we were talking with Philip Wolf about his latest project, Silent Cries. Breaking three or CHD Awareness. Now I'd like to introduce you to his executive producer and producer nickel victory and the co producer David Franco of the documentary Nicole. You Came on Heart to Heart with an Away Back in 2014 to talk to us about the documentary Welcome back to Heart to Heart with Anna Nicole.

spk_3:   9:51
Thanks for having me. I think this is my second and third visit to your show, and I really appreciated. It's great to be able to come back now after five years, and it's finally come to fruition and we're looking at four month out for relief,

spk_2:   10:07
veering, lighting. It is so exciting and welcome, David, as many people know who listen to heart to heart with Anna. David is a producer of heart to heart with Anna. So welcome as a guest today, David.

spk_6:   10:20
Thanks for letting me join in.

spk_2:   10:21
Well, I'm happy to have you here. It's gonna be a lot of fun. So we're going to start with Nickel and Nicole. I know from the last interview that I did with you that silent cries has even a different meaning for years. So can you share with my listeners? Was silent cries meant to you? It

spk_3:   10:36
was interesting. Once we got to talking about, I told Philip that was the perfect name because he never got to hear his son cry. My parents weren't allowed the Let me cry the first year, 235 years of my life and that's my rule Corrective surgery. Then you have other parents to it being something completely different. And I thought, you know, they run the gamut of congenital heart disease, the family, the community, and I think it's something that ever one camera like to which only reason that we kept it. And, um, I was adamant that we can't change it. We have to keep

spk_2:   11:13
that perfect

spk_3:   11:15
name that Philip came up with from the beginning. And that's one reason that I came on board with Project.

spk_2:   11:20
Really,

spk_3:   11:21
we just click so well. Yes, it's like my head is a summer home,

spk_2:   11:27
so

spk_3:   11:28
why don't we collaborated so well? And I saw that name and I was like, That's it. Yeah. I have to be involved with that.

spk_2:   11:34
Wow. Wow, that's really exciting. That something as simple as a name could have that kind of ability to connect you to a project like this.

spk_3:   11:45
Well, especially one where I'm in Alabama. Hustle out. Am I hate Dallas, Texas? We met on Twitter, and all I wanted to do is help him with the Indiegogo, share it and help raise some money For a while I was waiting my second film, Mary Girls Replacement. Then we ended up realizing what a great team we make and the rest of history, as they say.

spk_2:   12:09
Wow, Well, it was through you sharing information about the project that I first came to know you. So tell us about some of the other people you have come to know in working on this project.

spk_3:   12:21
I have met so many fabulous people. There's no way I could make the moment if I leave anybody out. It is not intentional. It's called old age point person in particular. Mark, fight shark Miller. I'm that him. I know you've interviewed him.

spk_2:   12:39
I have

spk_3:   12:39
a fitting, and I'm that even my way. We clicked immediately. We've them like brother and sister and inseparable ever since. He's been a really big inspiration to me. I know he was here to get the advocates met cardiologists helpful at Mayo Clinic and his H L E 15. We were lucky enough to film Feel the beach right after they won the prize for regenerative medicine, helping to find a cure for congenital heart disease. It's really fun when you're interviewing a position. Use the MD PhD and they use the word cure toe nearly 50 year old patient and you get in their face after the off camera and you say, Wait, don't ever use that working for me and he's like You don't know No, you're right. You're absolutely right. It won't help you or anybody in your generation because of your generation. We've been able to learn these things and that adult congenital heart doctors across the country globally, I've been to the United Kingdom and Net filmmakers working on the same kind of documentaries assistant real exciting to see how all the world really is

spk_2:   13:50
well and how connected the CHD community is, right? It seems like everybody knows everybody else, isn't it? amazing.

spk_3:   13:58
It really is. And if you don't, all you have to do is reach out. And immediately that one thing connects you.

spk_2:   14:06
Yeah.

spk_3:   14:06
You're connected for life.

spk_2:   14:09
Oh, yeah.

spk_3:   14:09
It's amazing.

spk_2:   14:11
Absolutely. Well, David, tell us how you became involved in this project and why you felt it was important for you to give your time and talent to it.

spk_6:   14:21
Nicole got me started in the project. We knew each other from social media. We both had the same surgeons at the same time. The same hospital. I'm from New York City. She's from Huntsville, Alabama. It was just a weird connection.

spk_3:   14:35
You and I met in the early seventies.

spk_6:   14:38
Nicole was making an amended little hearts gathering in Dallas. Philip was filming. So actually, I met Philip at the same time. But Nicole in our friends, for your

spk_2:   14:47
also

spk_3:   14:48
and David, honey, nothing is by accident. A chance with me had your i Q. I knew the minute we

spk_2:   14:56
that we

spk_3:   14:57
finally met in person, that we wanted you involved

spk_6:   15:00
and

spk_3:   15:00
I think right having you as

spk_6:   15:02
part of the team, you've been very big help. Thank you. Way. Thank you.

spk_4:   15:11
Hi. My name is Jaime Al Croft. and I just published my new book, The Tin Man Diaries. It's an amazing story of my sudden change of heart as I went through a heart liver transplant. I can think of no better way to read The Tin Man diaries than to cuddle up in your favorite hearts. Unite the Globe sweatshirt and your favorite hot beverage, of course, in your hearts Unite Blow Mug, both of which are available. The Hug podcast network, online store or visit Hearts Unite theglobe dot

spk_5:   15:42
tthe heart to heart with Anna is a presentation of hearts, Unite the Globe and is part of the hug Podcast Network Hearts Unite The Globe is a nonprofit organization devoted to providing resource is to the congenital heart defect community to uplift and power and enrich the lives of our community members. If you would like access to free Resource, is pretending to the C H T community. Please visit our website at www congenital heart defects dot com for information about CHD, the hospitals that treat Children with CHD summer camps for CHD survivors and much, much more. Anna Dworsky has written several books to empower the congenital heart defect or C H D. community. These books could be found at amazon dot com or at our website www dot baby hearts press dot com. Her best seller is The Heart of a Mother, an anthology of stories written by Women for Women in the CHD community and his other books. My Brother Needs an Operation, The Heart of a Father and Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. A Handbook for Parents will help you understand that you are not alone. Visit baby hearts press dot com to find out more.

spk_2:   16:59
Philip, I am so excited to meet your team, and I know your team is much bigger than just the three of you. But I'm so excited that all three of you could come on the program today. Tell us, when are we going to be able to see this documentary?

spk_0:   17:14
The sheriff's I cries breaking through? C. H E Awareness is currently being distributed through Amazon Prime Video that will be available to rent digitally and purchase as a download beginning August 6 2019. Within the United States and United Kingdom territories, viewers will be able to watch the film on smart TVs, fire TV, columns, tablets, gaming consoles and even from the Web. It also be available in closed captions. We're currently in the process of former writing the film to be distributed in Germany and Japan through Amazon Prime Video as well. And we're planning on August 6 Well for that. Releasing those territories

spk_2:   17:55
well, if have subtitles and knows other languages are well, it only be for people who know English in those countries.

spk_0:   18:01
It's available in closed captions, which means it'll be subtitled with those captions. That particular language in the yacht is State of the art Kingo. Be close catching in English,

spk_2:   18:12
right? But you were saying it's going to be available in Germany And did you say Japan?

spk_0:   18:17
Japan? Correct. And we're working on close captioning for that

spk_2:   18:21
Wow! Wow, that's quite an endeavor.

spk_0:   18:26
The film has also been entering the several different film festivals and hitting on the results of those entries. Other distributors could see it in negotiate with us additional distribution rights for the film better than just Amazon Prime.

spk_2:   18:40
Wow, that's great. Okay, Nicole, why don't you tell us why this film has been important to you and why you have stuck with it for all these years?

spk_3:   18:51
Wow, There's a litany of answers to that one of my main passion and can general heart disease there defect advocacy And I want the world to know exactly what the acronym C H P stands for, which is a congenital heart defect, someone say congenital heart disease. As a 50 year old patient, it was really nerve racking to me to see so much knowledge that hasn't been gained throughout all these years. It's like we got stuck on the back burner. They figured out how to quote unquote picks up, which really isn't the case. You're lucky if you live to 18 and we're at the plate now. That took my age group. I feel like, What do you belly aching about? You made it big. He should be glad we're working on kids. So it was really important to me. I didn't think that it was right for anybody to learn what the turns HD meant while they were celebrating the birth of their 1st 2nd 20th child. Secondly, that it needed to be mainstream looks like the Susan G. Komen Foundation and thank you. We need the research fund. We need people to know that we exist. We have over a 1,000,000 1/2 adult living with this alone. Statistically, the one in 100 isn't correct account of order babies or people that don't find out until later in life, which is quite common,

spk_2:   20:28
right?

spk_3:   20:29
It was very, very important to me is and every medium that we've worked on our Children's books in other thing educate, advocate, create media that could do these things and teach people about congenital heart disease because it's just been far too long that we've just kind of been sitting here saying Hello, we're here. We know each other community and I wanted to bring the community together because a huge community speaking with one wild boys and speaking from the same script is a lot more effective than the devices that we see within our own community. And still, I was hoping that this documentary would be a springboard to bring everyone together and let's get the numbers correct before we start saying them and but get out there and pick it up and raise money that we can

spk_2:   21:27
Great, great. All of that makes a lot of sense. And yes, we've talked before on this program about how the one in 100 is just a little bit of the people born with congenital heart defects because that doesn't include the people with bicuspid, aortic valve or a lot of the other problems. It just doesn't get counted in that statistics. So you're right. It is greater than one in 100 and yet we don't have the awareness that we need. David, why don't you tell us who you think needs to see this film and why

spk_6:   21:59
everyone? I think anyone who sees the film will be surprised as much as I've been surprised in what I see from before and after, not just the work that has gone in by the players, but by how I've changed since the making of the film and how this is really a great way to communicate the CH Dean message.

spk_2:   22:29
Nicole, who do you think should see this film and why

spk_3:   22:34
I tend to agree with David first. Of course, anybody that has any relationship to the contemptible heart defect into these community needs to see this film to educate themselves. But then it doesn't matter who your of your grandmother. If your mother it's your a teenager, anybody that can learn and educate themselves about this particular defect that has gone silent for so long. And that's another silent cries reference were screaming and nobody hears us, and I think that there isn't a person on the face of this planet that does not need to see this movie. I think we'll be petitioning for Australia because I've meditations down there for him. I've abdicated and I think that they didn't know until their nephew well, it's a nephew Most people would say, but now I say it doesn't matter. I need to know that this is a huge problem that needs addressing not only in research funding, but just a help. People who can't afford all the surgeries that are involved and that it's a life long battle from day one and I'm almost 50 I'm still fighting David, still fighting Philip is still fighting because he lost the sun and I can relate to that having lost a child, not CHD, but just it is a constant battle in struggle. Every single day that we get up and put our two feet on the floor, we choose to live. Most people don't understand that, and I think that's what this film will bring about?

spk_2:   24:17
Absolutely. I agree. Philip, listen, this program with you telling us one more time where people can find your documentary when it's available, and then I'd like you to tell us what's next.

spk_0:   24:29
Sure, Sorry. Cries breaking through th e awareness is currently being distributed through Amazon Prime Video beginning August 6 this year. And what's next? Really all depends on the success of the film. We've been brainstorming ways we could educate and bring more awareness to c'est ease with spinoffs firm The film, consisting of shorter, 20 to 30 minute episodes, each focused on a particular defect until Weaken cover all known Ch D's. And our concept is like the superhero movies that come together within their own universe, such as the DC and Marvel Universe, except would call ours the Silent Cries Universe.

spk_2:   25:08
Uh

spk_0:   25:09
oh. Another CHD Aware book is also in the works. Oh, I want to continue my son's legacy through a trilogy, and the first, as you know, is a story but picture book for Children called Jeremiah CST aware bearing friends, and the next chapter will be a chapter book targeting preteens, and the third book would continue the story with Jeremiah all grown up as a novel for adults in This has all been it parents producing a feature length documentary regarding Ch Deena's. I'm excited to see how the public responds, and my team and I continued to educate ourselves about CSG throughout the making of the film. And yes, we had a lot of setbacks. Sleepless night, frustration and blood, sweat and tears poured into this project that in the end, it was all worth it.

spk_2:   25:56
That's wonderful. Thank you so much. Philip Wolf, Nicole Victory and David Franco for coming on the program today and talking to us about your experience and creating this very special documentary to raise awareness of congenital heart to fix

spk_0:   26:13
It was very speaking with, you know, today I appreciate it.

spk_2:   26:16
Thanks, Philip. Nicole, Thank you so much. It was good having you on the program again.

spk_3:   26:21
Thank you for having us. Everyone can check out our Facebook page and our website. We are starting a huge publicity push starting July 5th and with the building released a month later, on August 6 every Friday, they can check out our website, our Facebook page for videos or gang things related to the movie and way want people to engage and share and have his greater responses. We have had support over the years.

spk_2:   26:57
Now what is the name of your Facebook page? Nicole.

spk_3:   27:01
Silent Cross Productions.

spk_2:   27:04
Silent Cries Productions. You've heard it, friends. This is how you can find out even more information, and we'll have a link to their website on our page on hard tonight. Theglobe dot or I'm sure you'll have more information on your website as well, Right, Philip?

spk_0:   27:21
Yeah, I'll send out mine. It's wolf Entertainment or political films, which is P w films dot net.

spk_2:   27:29
Great. Thanks, David, for being on the program this time is a guest. I know you'd prefer to be behind the scenes, but I appreciate you coming on and talking with us today.

spk_6:   27:40
Thanks for letting me join in. And it's great to talk to you too. Nicole and Philip.

spk_2:   27:44
Yeah, a lot of fun. And it's been so much fun talking with so many creative people that does conclude this episode of heart to heart with Anna. Thanks for listening today. Please check out our patri on page. We'd love for you to become a patron of our program. Check out our Hug, Podcast, Network page or our website to see how you could be part of our network. Get behind the scenes information, be invited to special recordings and have Q and A's with our guests and even more go to hearts. Unite the globe dot org's for more information. That's all for today. Please remember, my friends, You are not alone.

spk_1:   28:19
Thank you again for joining us this week Way. Hope you have been inspired on Empowered to become an advocate for the congenital heart defects community. Heart to heart with Anna With your hose down, Dworsky can be heard every Tuesday at 12 noon Eastern time.