As a fourth-year medical student going into neurology, Sara Dawit knew she still had much to learn about the people she will someday treat. "We study these diseases in school and see patients in the clinic, but I did not have a clear picture of someone's quality of life," said Dawit, who graduated from KU School of Medicine-Wichita in May.  

Now she does and others can too; thanks to a short film she made about John, a 67-year-old former accountant who has lived with Parkinson's disease (PD) for over a decade. Dawit's five-minute short film, "You Still Have a Life," can be seen here.

Dawit was struck with the idea for making the film while reviewing the schedule for the 2016 American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Annual Meeting. The AAN's Neuro Film Festival is an annual event meant to raise public awareness about brain and nervous system diseases and the need for research. Dawit already had a cameraman and co-producer for the project handy: her fiancé, Brandon Carey. He's an aerospace engineer with a passion for film and photography.

Dawit says she knew early on in medical school that she wanted to specialize in neurology. "The debilitating and elusive nature of many neurological diseases speaks to my innate curiosity of the brain and desire to solve complex issues to help others," Dawit explained. Her interest in the field was first sparked while pursuing her Molecular Biology degree at Scripps College in Claremont, California.

During medical school and an internship at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, Dawit recognized her desire to be an advocate for those faced with unanticipated, life-altering conditions. She elaborates, "My goal is to apply my clinical and scientific research skills to address neurological public health problems in medically underserved communities."

While in medical school, she has completed rotations in neurocritical care, general neurology, vascular neurology, and neuro-ophthalmology. She also served as co-president of the Student Interest Group in Neurology. Dawit met Dr. Melissa Gaines at KU and she credits Dr. Gaines for putting her in touch with John. Dr. Gaines teaches geriatric medicine at KUSM-W in addition to practicing at Wesley Medical Center and the KU Wichita Adult Medicine Clinic.

The star of the film, though, is John, who was diagnosed with PD 16 years ago after co-workers began noticing his tremors. "He allowed us to follow him and share his story with others," said Dawit, who narrates the film. She and John first connected through their mutual love of oldies music. She interviewed John shortly after he had deep brain stimulator surgery. The film notes that John fell and suffered a concussion during physical rehab but persevered despite obstacles. As the film clearly shows, John manages to maintain his sense of humor and positive outlook on life. He is shown joking with Dr. Gaines and commenting on the importance of being independent.

"I wouldn't exactly call it being a movie star," John said of his role in the film, which he said he was impressed with. "I thought it got my message across that life goes on after you get Parkinson's. You just try to do the best you can. Keep a positive attitude. I'd much rather be happy than sad."

Dawit said the film took about three months to complete and she considers it time well spent. She begins residency at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix in July. "We often think of a neurodegenerative disease as a bleak diagnosis, but here is John finding humor in the situation and living his life," Dawit said. "He really opened up my eyes to what it's like to have a disease like PD and still remain yourself."