Educational Media Reviews Online

Most of us take breathing for granted. But the ability of humans to take in oxygen and process it throughout the body is a miracle that no one with disease-compromised lungs can ever dismiss, particularly when the disease has affected him or her since birth. The Power of Two is the inspirational story of twins Isabel (Isa) and Anabel (Ana) Stenzel, who also wrote a book with the same title about their experiences growing up with and surviving cystic fibrosis. In many ways, these two sisters were lucky: they came of age at a time when lung transplantation became available as a treatment to prolong the life of CF patients, many of whom died in their teens previously. They were also lucky in a sense to have each other as support and partner in their mutual struggle with the disease. Naturally enough, their relationship is remarkably close, even for twins. But this film is a testament to their determination and resilience in the face of a daunting daily struggle to cope with the disease and even their possible deaths from it while awaiting lung transplants. In addition to their own stories, they also interweave that of a number of other CF patients as well as donor families in the United States and overseas, and examine the cultural supports and barriers to organ donation. The facts about the disease, including the genetic component, and the steps to organ donation and transplantation are laid out plainly with help from experts such as Dr. Francis Collins of the National Institutes of Health and Dr. Howard Koh, Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services. The film is long, but well organized and produced. The music underscores the tender hopefulness that suffuses the work even in its portrayal of grieving families of people who died much too young.

This would be a good film for CF and organ transplant support groups, but it would be even better as part of a general educational effort on organ donation.