Parkinson’s: Lynda’s Story 1999
Distributed by Fanlight Productions, 32 Court St., 21st Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201; 800-876-1710
Produced by David Tucker
Directed by David Tucker
VHS, color, 46 min.
Sr. High - Adult
Health Sciences
Date Entered: 05/12/2005
Reviewed by Kay Hogan Smith, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Lister Hill Library of the Health SciencesFrom the CBC series, The Nature of Things, this documentary describes over a year in the life of a Parkinson’s patient, “Lynda,” as she experiences the hope, frustrations, and fears surrounding participation in a clinical trial of experimental fetal tissue transplant surgery for Parkinson’s Disease. Mostly related from the perspective of the patient and her family, including the agonizing delays until her surgery can be scheduled, the film also accommodates the perspectives of others, including primary care physicians, researchers, and the views of some opposed to such experiments. Complicated neurological phenomena are explained in laymen’s terms, making this well-produced documentary a good addition to consumer health collections (especially those focused on senior health issues). The film would also make a good starting point for group discussions about ethical issues such as fetal tissue transplants.