AJAs 2017 Finalists
Attachments
| Slug/Label | How To Love When You Are Leaving |
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| Date Aired or Published | Sept. 10, 2023 |
| Media outlet where first aired or published: | CBC |
| Name of Program: | Atlantic Voice |
| If co-produced, list partner: | Lindsay Bird |
| Location: | CBC Atlantic |
| List awards, grants: | |
| Running time (TV/Radio): | 26:10 |
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Short explanation of the story and how it developed: Children's writer and poet Sheree Fitch's husband Gilles Plante was diagnosed in early 2017 at the age of 60 years old with Alzheimer's Disease. It was the same year they opened the Mable Murple Book Shoppe and Dreamery at their hobby farm in River John, Nova Scotia. Thousands of people visited the book shop and that first summer was a distraction from his diagnosis. Yet behind the scenes in their home, they were grabbling with this new reality and discussing options. Gilles mother lived her last year's with Alzheimer's. It haunted him and has informed the choices, including his decision to request MAID. At first, Sheree referenced the diagnosis in her writing but didn't share publicly how they were coping and how they were continuing to live life --continuing to share love and laughter while facing an unknown future. In the Fall of 2022 --5 years after his early onset diagnosis, Sheree and Gilles agreed to allow CBC's Atlantic Voice to do a documentary. They welcomed journalist Myfanwy Davies into their home and to their hobby farm for a series of interviews that became the documentary "How to Live When You Are Leaving" |
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Resources of the newsroom (money and time) available to complete the story: A total of 8 days for Myfawny to gather, write and mix the doc, with story editing by Lindsay Bird. |
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