By Christin Dornback, Writing Intern
Could You Imagine?
If something went missing from your home, would you notice?
For families with a sick child, something does go missing.
That something is stability. Security. Time. Each other.
Imagine this:
Some mornings, it is quiet – the kind of quiet only empty houses can be. Some mornings, the toast is left uneaten and the sleepy ones must find their way to the car and begin a drive they’ve done time and time again. Some mornings, the coffee isn’t enough to make the journey bearable, the smiles are forced, and the difficulties are as daunting as can be.
Imagine this:
The process that you thought you would be going through together, you find yourself apart – supporting your child, taking care of obligations, and doing what you can to keep yourself and your family afloat. But you feel like a fish out of water. You are stretched too thin. There are bills piling up, household cleaning you don’t have the energy to do, and a brave face to be put on.
When a family is split between long commutes to hospitals and keeping up with the responsibilities that life demands, the toll that it takes is severe – emotionally, physically, socially, mentally. At Ronald McDonald House, we are committed to easing up the load that befalls families with sick children.
Imagine this:
It has been a long and lonely day and night listening to the soundtrack of a hospital room: medical equipment beeping, sighing, dripping. You and your child’s breathing filling the room. Nurses and doctors entering and exiting, asking how you’re doing, helping your child. Your phone jingles, alerting you of texts from your loved ones saying they’ll be there to “switch shifts” in a few.
Imagine this:
You pack up your bag, kiss your child’s forehead, and leave the room. But instead of driving three hours back home, you walk across the street. You check in. Someone hands you a key and joins you as you walk to your room. You enter and set your bag on the bed before falling into it yourself.
Imagine this:
After you take a shower, you pay some bills, join in the communal kitchen at lunch time, update your loved ones on Facebook, and return to your room afterwards. You grab your coat, your keys, and your bag. You walk back across the road to the hospital and up to your child’s room. Your family is there. Together.
…
In our new short film, Something’s Missing, written, directed, edited, and produced by Post House Creative, we wanted to show that when something’s missing, the whole family feels it.
Post House Creative and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio are connected through the married duo of Timothy M. and Kimberly Flaherty, who own Post House Creative and both serve on our Marketing Committee. Tim and Kimberly became involved and fell in love with the mission of Ronald McDonald House Charities a few years ago, and Tim remembers that it felt “natural for us to be able to help in the marketing role. Our staff has helped out cooking a couple meals and other charitable things with the House.” Their daughter, Isabelle, plays the sick child in the short film.
While we usually choose to focus on the hope within the realities experienced by the families who stay within the House walls, we took a new and different route this time. Instead of shorter testimonies, we decided to employ advanced story-telling and create a cinematic piece which leaves the viewer haunted.
When planning, Post House Creative asked, what if Ronald McDonald House of Central Ohio wasn’t around or a family didn’t know about it?
While the haunting feeling isn’t found through ghosts or post-apocalyptic zombies popping up on your screen, this film demonstrates how harrowing it is to experience what families with sick children go through without having something as critical as a place to stay near the hospital; a place which doesn’t require payment. Without a place to stay, the logistics of taking care of a sick child are scary. When families have access to a place that is close by, they can rest their head on an actual bed, eat warm food, stretch their legs, shower, and form community with others in the House, and the logistics are more manageable.
Tim explains their decision to feature less dialogue was deliberate and to focus on what visual were captured on screen. They used motivated camera movement and certain shots, chosen specifically to keep the audience wanting more and to emphasize actions speak a lot louder than words.
Post House Creative’s vision has allowed us to tell a story of families in need. They created Something’s Missing without compensation, meaning that all cast and crew volunteered their time, energy, and resources to write, direct, edit, and produce the film. We are so grateful for their generosity and continued support of our mission to keep families together. Their quick turnaround when following a tight timeline is another testament to their skill and dedication.
We are forever grateful. Thank you to the volunteer cast of Ryan Forrestal (Dad), Isabelle Flaherty (Sick Child), Ellie Maetzold (Sister), and Melissa Roslovic (Mom). Thank you to Tim and Kimberly Flaherty, writer Scott Baldner, producer Tony Adkins, editor Kirk Mason, Director of Photography John Massarella, and the rest of the Post House Creative team.
Editor’s Note: The Drexel Theater in Bexley has graciously agreed to show the film preceding each and every movie for a limited time. However, you can watch the short film now on Facebook here or YouTube by clicking the image below. This way, you can share either link on your own social media account to help spread the word about the important mission of RMHC.
You can help us keep families together by visiting RMHC-CentralOhio.org.