Cody: The First Step - A heartfelt documentary about living with paralysis and challenging the world to find a cure

Satellite Uplink for PBS stations: Thursday, July 30, 2009

Cody: The First Step had its New Mexico premiere recently here in Albuquerque. Cody Unser comes from the legendary Unser racing family but this documentary is not about racing. It's an incredibly honest film that hones in on Cody's remarkable life, on living with paralysis, professional advocacy, notions of "disability" and family, love and redemption.

In 1999, Cody was at 6th grade basketball practice when she began to feel excessively tired, had difficulty catching her breath, developed a pounding headache and her legs felt heavy, numb and “tingly.” She was taken to the emergency room and sent home after evaluation. The next morning, Cody was unable to walk and returned to the hospital, paralyzed below her chest. The mysterious symptoms were finally diagnosed as Transverse Myelitis (TM), a rare but often paralyzing -- and sometimes fatal -- spinal cord inflammation. When Cody returned home a few months later, she was paralyzed and in a wheelchair, but energized in her quest to build awareness of TM, promote cooperation among researchers and cure paralysis. Cody: The First Step is the story of her accomplishments and activities to date, and an update on efforts to treat and cure paralysis.

Filmmaker Chris Schueler has captured the force of nature known as Cody Unser. Together with mom Shelly, family, friends, pioneering medical doctors/scientists and other supporters, they present the many facets of living with paralysis with candor and dignity. This is a serious documentary yet it in most places it feels like a news magazine piece with interesting camera perspectivies, music, cutaway shots and historical footage. Keywords: hopeful, inspirational, educational, and sobering. Cody: The First Step normalizes paralysis in a way that is sure to break down barriers and promote understanding. For Veterans Advocates who have not had the opportunity to become familiar with issues relating to paralysis, this is an excellent primer.

Cody is not the first superhero in a wheelchair. Al Kovach Jr., former Navy SEAL and National Vice President of Paralyzed Veterans of America opened my eyes to the world of paralyzed veterans advocacy. Like Cody, an elite group of Paralyzed Veteran Advocates bring leadership, courage, determination, compassion, extraordinary competence and athleticism to advocacy roles played at the local, state and national level. Cody is not a veteran, but she's a friend to, and now an advocate for veterans, an indication of her accumulating contributions as she continues on her unique and stellar journey.

The Veterans angle of Cody's story is all about Scuba Diving. Cody is an evangelist for the transformative power of scuba diving. The Cody Unser First Step Foundation created Operation Deep Down for Veterans and the NM Zia Chapter of PVA is part of this initiative. (photo: Cody, Zia's Jim Hay and wife Jeri).

Cody: The First Step is successful on many levels, including: 1) provides an honest and dignified view of living with paralysis; 2) provides high level medical information on treatments and prospects for a cure; 2) presents an introduction to scuba diving as therapeutic treatment for veterans; and 3) serves to remind those of us in Veterans Services why we must strive to ensure that paralyzed veterans have the support they need to live their lives with dignity. Paralyzed Veterans of America and VA have a lot to be proud of when it comes to SCI, but we must be ever vigilant.

Note from the producers: Cody: The First Step will be uplinked to PBS stations on July 30. At that time they pull it down and hold it for possible broadcast. Each station makes its own decision as to whether to air it or not and when. So if folks want to help, they can certainly call their local PBS stations, ask them to be sure to record the uplink on July 30 and to broadcast the program. Each station has been given the rights to broadcast it any time over the next 18 months.

Links:
Cody Unser First Step Foundation
New York Times Review