The Eagle Eye

Issue date: 2/19/09 Section: News

LHU looks forward to welcoming Darius Weems, a Georgia native, who suffers from Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and who is the focus of the documentary, "Darius Goes West."

The therapeutic recreation club presented a screening of the documentary "Darius Goes West" Monday in the Hall of Flags.
This was done in preparation for a visit to LHU by the main character of the movie, Darius Weems.
The group that joined him in his trip from Georgia to Los Angeles will also be joining him at LHU on March 31
The film is about a 15-year-old named Darius Weems who suffers from Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
This genetic condition, which killed his older brother, causes his muscles to deteriorate and has left him wheelchair-bound.
"Darius Goes West" follows him and some of his friends as they travel in a recreational vehicle from Athens, Ga. to Los Angeles in an attempt to get MTV's "Pimp My Ride" to customize his wheelchair for him.
Along the way, the group faces joy and misadventure, and Weems experiences more in a few days than many do in a lifetime.
Julie Lammel, associate professor of recreation management and therapeutic recreation club adviser, says the film is important in how it affects viewers' attitudes.
"For me, it's this understanding of advocacy and change in how our cultural and social worlds work, this change in how we regard disability and people with disabilities," she said.
The therapeutic recreation club is organizing the visit by Weems and the group from the road trip
Lammel says Weems's story is in line with the purpose of the club.
"Therapeutic recreation deals primarily with people experiencing change," she said. "Whether that change be disability, whether it be behavioral, whether it be social or cultural change."
She says recreation can be a useful tool in helping people through these changes.
"We work with people who have had a major change in their life and try to use recreation and this idea of leisure to help them understand this sense of quality of life and satisfaction in life that hopefully is worthwhile," she said.
Lammel hopes that the film and the visit will inspire students to action.
"We hope students will develop an understanding of the ability to create change in a world where you don't always feel like you can make change, this sense of advocacy that's so, so critical," said Lammel.
She also hopes students will reflect on how they view disability.
"We hope students leave with a new understanding of disability and people with disabilities," she said. "Really, it's a piece of who someone is, not to be pitied, but to be embraced, understood and respected."

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools