Why is this film needed?
Many caregivers are desperate, exhausted and isolated. The demands of daily life take a heavy toll on their mental and physical health.
These quotes from caregivers of people with special needs represent what many caregivers experience every day:
There are millions of special needs caregivers in America. Their declining mental and physical health constitutes a public health crisis.
The following stats are specific to caregivers of children with special needs:
An estimated 16.8 million people are caring for children with special needs.
30% of special needs caregivers say caregiving has worsened their health.
43% of special needs caregivers report experiencing high stress.
26% of special needs caregivers report their health is fair or poor (compared to 13% of the general adult population).
When caregivers are not supported and don’t have adequate resources, the outcome can be tragic.
These are real excerpts from devastating stories that occurred because caregivers had reached a breaking point.
Statistics with no context are easy to ignore.
A tragic story in the news might make us pause, but requires no action.
Until we put names, faces and stories with the struggles of special needs caregivers, they will continue to go unseen.
We Need Your Help to Make this Documentary Happen
If you want to see this project come to life, we need your support. There are lots of ways you can help.