"Baby Doe's
Heartbeat"
In
the darkness, a silent frightened cry is heart. It is that of an
Baby
Doe is the name given to babies that are found by the
coroner's office when a positive I.D. can't be made. It has become
a practice for either the coroner's office, funeral home, or an
independent charitable organization to give these precious ones
a name so they can be buried with dignity. There headstones
say that they were someone.
Too Many Tragedies
Out of college for only 2 years, and I just couldn't stand it any more. There
was another story about a baby found
in a trash dumpster behind a hotel on the strip. Lots of bad things happen in
Vegas. This is not a play ground.
Not only does it cross my mind that I gotta move myself and my family out of
Vegas, but someone needs to do
something about these poor babies.
Right
then and there, before the thought was completed my heartstrings
were tugged on. I looked heavenward, "Okay, God, I get it." I then
determined to put my hands to the plow and work hard.
"Baby Doe's Heartbeat" was born.
I
was going to make a documentary film with my husband. This was going to be
heart wrenching, I just knew it before I started. Not only was the subject
matter extremely difficult, but we were
trained as dramatists, specializing in narrative form films. We had no idea what
we were doing--but quickly we learned.
Truly
a Privilege-Truly Humbled
Now
this is something I will never get over. I'm truly humbled to this day. We were
able to interview: Senators, The
Clark County Coroner, a District Attorney who prosecuted a woman who abandoned a
baby, a courageous mother
who decided to be brave and not dump her baby, and then one who did--but
miraculously her baby: Faith lived. Debbe
Magnusen and Angel Waters of Project Cuddle and other heads of women's groups
donated their time with interviews
and knowledge.
WOW! Is all I can stay say and marvel, "How'd we pull that off?"
Our
Little Bolex
The
Bolex proved faithful to us again for the second time. It was borrowed from my
boss (Thanks Dimitri and Kim xo).
Our college degrees were not wasted. (Read the Beauty from Ashes story).
Carol
Boisvert, who worked at KVBC-NBC would edit for us and she was so fantastic!
This woman is courageous and bold.
She did for us what others would never do: showed infinite patience, kindness,
mercy, understanding, and compassion.
She also ran the video camera (DVC) for the interviews. The Bolex added texture
with dramatizations done on film.
What
the-Humbled Again
Eventually, after 2
years, the project was completed and aired. I received 3 Emmy nominations
for: writing, music composition and producing. My husband: music composition and
producing.
Baby Doe won a prestigious Vegas award: EMA Media Awards for Best
Educational/Informational
Documentary Program. Not bad for our first time out--"What the-"
Humbled again. The true heroes
of this story are the moms who didn't dump their babies and worked hard to keep
them.
Miracles do
happen. I saw that first hand when baby Faith survived being dumped in a trash
bin by her mother.