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[♪♪♪] girl: when i was a kid, my mother told me that i was a little piece of blue sky that came into this world because she and dad loved me so much. it was only later that i realized that it wasn't exactly true. most babies are coincidences. i mean, up in space
you got all these souls flying around looking for bodies to live in. then, down here on earth, two people have sex or whatever and bam, coincidence. sure, you hear all these stories about how everyone plans these perfect families but the truth is that most babies are products of drunken evenings
and lack of birth control. they're accidents. only people who have trouble making babies actually plan for them. i, on the other hand, am not a coincidence. i was engineered. born for a particular reason. a scientist hooked up my mother's eggs and my father's sperm
to make a specific combination of genes. he did it to save my sister's life. sometimes i wonder what would have happened if kate had been healthy. i'd probably still be up in heaven or wherever waiting to be attached to a body down here on earth. but coincidence or not, i'm here. [traffic noises]
[bus brakes hissing] [chimes ringing] what can i do for you? girl:fourteen karat gold, hardly ever worn. anna anna: that's my sister, kate. she's dying. anna:montana? i don't get it.
it looks like a whole bunchof nothing. kate:it is a whole bunch of nothing. just you andthe big old sky. why do you like it? i don't know. i like big things.i like wide-open spaces. besides, it's the only placei've ever been. anna: that's mom and aunt kelly making dinner. since my sister got sick, things have changed. aunt kelly only works part-time
and mom quit her job as a lawyer. her life now revolves around keeping kate alive. cooking and cleaning. everything steamed, organic and germ-free. have a good night. bye. i guess you could say that we're a little dysfunctional. but everybody loves each other, and we do the best we can.
that's not a word. dad: what about that language? nice shirt, sissy. good, right? mom, you wanna see our routine? what routine? come on, anna, let's do it. hey, baby, what's your sign? cancer.
you're a cancer? no, i'm a leo-- all: but i have cancer. it's not even funny. yes, it is. brother: i agree with dad. it was pretty clever. dad: it's not funny. it's not. [girls shouting]
nice. nice.these your kids? yes, they are.question is, are they yours? you believe that?where's your locket? oh, i didn't feellike wearing it today. mom: eat, kate. i'm eating. mom: is it not good? it's really good, mom. dad:it's good to me.
i have lentils in the fridgeif you want some. i'm fine, mom. you're not hungry, huh? i bet she needsto breathe a bit. maybe you should tryto breathe a bit. maybe i will a bit later. mmmh. kate:gross. where are you going?
kate: bathroom, wanna come? [don ho's tiny bubbles playing] mom:will you breathe on me later? ♪ tiny bubbles ♪ ♪ in the wine ♪ ♪ make me happy ♪ ♪ make me feel fine ♪ dad: having a child who is sick is a full-time occupation. brian
sure, we still enjoy the usual day-to-day happinesses of family life. big house, great kids, beautiful wife. but beneath the exterior, there are cracks, resentments, alliances that threaten the very foundation of our lives as at any moment
our whole world could come tumbling down. brian:i don't know when it started, but probably around 11it was 103. hey, what's going on? mom: your sister's sick. she's been up all nightwith a fever. anna: kate? kate? [coughing]
hey. you ready?come on, let's go. [sighs] are you sureyou want to do this? you knowyou're nuts, right? i'll be right back. all right, i'll be waiting. man: when anna fitzgerald first stepped into my office i thought she was selling girl scout cookies.
campbell thank you. oh, my gosh, it's really you. it really is. "i'm campbell alexander. i have a 90 percentsuccess rate. ninety-one. what can i do for you?" you've seen my commercials.
all of them.i mean, that's why i'm here. hi. please don't touch. judge is a service dog. what service? i have an iron lung and judge helps mesteer clear of magnets. please, sit down. what is your name?
anna fitzgerald. what can i do for you,anna? that is so cool. i want to sue my parentsfor the rights to my own body. would you repeat that,please? my sister has leukemia. they're trying to force meto give her my body parts. you're supposedto give her a kidney? she's been in renal failurefor months now.
no one can force you to donateif you don't want to, can they? they think they can. i'm under 18,they're my legal guardians. they can't do that. that's what i want youto tell them. they've been doing itto me my whole life. i wouldn't even be aliveif kate wasn't sick. i'm a designer baby. i was made in a dishto be spare parts for kate.
you're kidding, right? campbell: the kid wasn't lying. the doctors started taking things from her the moment she was born. cord blood as an infant, white-cell transfusions, bone marrow, lymphocytes, injections to add more stem cells, and then they took them too. but it was never enough.
you do know what will happen if you don't give your sisteryour kidney, don't you? yeah, she'll die. so there's a littleover $700 here. and i knowthat's not enough, but it's all i haveand i need your help. please. you sure you want togo through with this? good for you.
mom: it's hard to imagine now, but there was a time before all this happened when the kids were just kids, and everyone was happy. sara sara:hi, baby. where's your sister? sleeping. i tried poking herand everything. hey, katie-cat.
good morning, sweetie.are you awake? how you doing? rise and shine. sara: anemia, right? kids her agedon't get mono, do they? could be a virus. i'll have to draw some bloodand run a few tests. kate's white cell count'smuch lower than normal. what's that mean?
i don't know. she may have an autoimmunedeficiency. could just bea lab error. ileana farquad, m.d. oncology?but that's cancer. ( indistinct chatter ) mr. and mrs.fitzgerald? i'm ileana farquad. hello.
so i took a lookat kate's cbc. her white blood countis very low. she's also presenting with 12% promyelocytesand 5% blasts, which does indicatea leukemic syndrome. leukemic? i'll need a bone marrowaspiration to confirm, but it seemsthat kate could have what is called acutepromyelocytic leukemia.
i'm sorry. respiration's normal. brian: st. joe's doesn't know shit. you remember when the chief'sson was playing with jesse and brokehis left arm? they put a caston his right. i'm not gonnalet her die. you know that,right? i'm not.
♪ when i break off into the spaceship ♪ ♪ to make the crowd break in awe ♪ ♪ sooner or later i'll show you how to reason ♪ jesse [cell phone ringing] hello? we heard her coughing,but she wouldn't open the door, your mom kicked it in. kicked the door down?
yeah. sara:i haven't gottenin touch with them. she's lost a lot of blood. we need to get plateletsand fluids into her. i don't want hergoing into shock. paramedic: her age and weight? sara: fifteen, she's about 90 pounds,she's allergic to penicillin. paramedic:one-hundred over 68.okay, base camp, rescue 11.
we have a 15-year-old girl,approximately 90 pounds. bp is 100 over 68. jesus christ. paramedic:all right, let's get her up.yeah. ( indistinct radio chatter ) paramedic:we're just gonna bring youdownstairs. jesse: nobody's saying anything, but seeing everybody together lets me know that this is serious.
our family is kind of disconnected. dad's relatives are wealthy and distant, and mom's side drives her crazy. so besides aunt kelly, we never really get to see anybody except on holidays or disasters. doctor 1: kate's leukemia is back. she's no longerremissing. doctor 2:we've looked at her smear,
and her leukemic cellsare showing at 23%. how many is bad? any. brian: what about chemo? doctor 2:it's an option, but kate doesn'tseem to take it very well. and her cancer may betoo far along. so you need more bone marrow? yes, but the leukemia isn'tkate's biggest problem now. she's lost the functionof her kidneys.
they've quit. they're gone. sara: not a match? doctor: no. we're her parents,don't we have to be? everyone inheritstwo sets of chromosomes containing hla genes. unfortunately,there's only a 1 in 200 chancethat parents and their children
will be perfecthistocompatible hla matches. what about jesse? i'm afraid not. it's possiblethat a donor will crop up on the nationalbone-marrow registry. i thought you saidgetting a transplant from an unrelated donorwas dangerous. i did. but kate's situationis time-sensitive, and sometimesthat's all we've got.
i'd like to suggest somethingcompletely off the record. many times one siblingisn't a match, but another is. have you consideredhaving another child? not to be forward,but umbilical blood can be an incredibly effective toolin treating leukemic patients. it's like a miracle. well, how would you knowthat the new child would be a match? we could make sure of it.
in a test tube? yes. with preimplantationgenetic diagnosis, it would bea 100 percent match. a donor child? it's not for everybody. and legally, i can't evenofficially recommend it. but like i said,cord blood would be invaluable. well,we gotta do it. we gotta try.
jesse: that was it. grown in a dish, they would have an in vitro child. a perfect chromosomal match who would be kate's genetic savior. woman:remember that time where we strappedthat fabric on her feet? someone hereto see you. sara fitzgerald? yes.
you've been served. what is that? sara:"petition for medicalemancipation by--" what does that mean? "the ability to make futuremedical decisions independent of parents, not to be forcedto submit treatment includingdonating her kidney." anna, what is this?is this from you?
yeah, i got a lawyer. you're suing us? well, honey, what the hellis going on? i don't want to do itanymore, mom. you don't wantto do it anymore? that's it?you don't want to do it? no. guess what? neither do iand neither does kate. it's not like we have a choice.
that's the thing, i do.i do have a choice. really? is that so? that's your sister.have you forgotten? do you know what's gonna happen? believe it or not,i actually thought about it. sara. kelly: have you lost your mind? sara: what is she doing? what were you thinking?what the hell is she thinking?
i don't understand. man: let's hit it now, go. [fire roaring, sirens blaring] [men shouting indistinctly] man: fitzgerald! your wife called,she said to give her a call, it's important. 911. just telling me now? i'm not your secretary.
get your own frigging calls. goddamn it, gus. brian:all right, let's hear it.what's going on? [sighs]okay. forget about the fact thatthe operation is dangerous, or that it would hurt, or that i might not want to havesomething cut out of me. but if i only have one kidney,then what happens to me? what if i need it?
and am i really neverallowed to play sports or be a cheerleader or getpregnant? can't drink. what if i just wantto live a long time? sweetheart, you're gonnalive a long time. yeah? then tell me this: what if the transplantdoesn't work? what then? she's your sister. i know that!but i'm not like you, mom!
i see the other kids,i see what they do. they go to parties,the beach. i don't understand why youdidn't say something earlier. when? when should italk to you about it? you're never home.you leave me here with her. excuse me?you've never had to do anything you don't want to doand you know that! i always wound up doingeverything, didn't i? stop yelling at her!
you spoiled shit! brian:be quiet. we said she getsthe table, she gets the table. [sighs]go ahead. remember how the doctor saidif i did the operation i would have to be carefulfor the rest of my life? but i don't want to be careful.who wants to live like that? sara: anna, listen-- i'm important too. hey, now--
let me go! [e.g. daily's "life is justa bowl of cherries" playing] brian:mom needs to cool off a bit.she's a little upset. anna:yeah, i heard her. "get her out of here. i don't want to seeher face anymore." i looked at my daughter and wondered how it got from there to here. ♪ life is just a bowl of cherries ♪
♪ don't take it serious ♪ ♪ life's too mysterious ♪ ♪ you work ♪ ♪ you save you worry so ♪ ♪ but you can't take your dough ♪ ♪ when you go, go, go ♪ all right, so,what do you think? a bit more salt. a bit more.
♪ it's the berries ♪ brian: from the moment we decided to genetically conceive, i suppose this was the eventual outcome. it was our fault. we went against nature and this was our comeuppance. but have we really pushed her too hard? have we forced her into helping her sister? all those little encouragements and rewards, were they real?
or did we just want what we wanted? ♪ just repeat "the berries" ♪ she was so little when all this started. when did she start wanting to make her own decisions? doctor: it's okay. anna: i want my daddy. i want my mama!no, please! mama! it's okay. i know. mommy!
[crying] brian: i guess the answer is now. what do you meanyou don't know? she won't talk. you know, maybe she justwants to be considered. take the credit that it'sher decision, i don't know. maybe it's not crazy. sara:what, you don't want herto do it? i didn't say that.
but it's against her will,so how does that work? do you hold her down, or do i? don't be dramatic. you gonna take her ankles,i'll take her wrists? she's not a baby.you just can't trick her. i know. so then what? you want to sedate her? get handcuffs, tell her we'regoing to get ice cream again?
because if we do, every dayfor the rest of her life, she's gonna look at us likewe forced her, like we used her. and she'll be right. for chrissakes, brian,i didn't do this. whose side are you on? side. what sides?are there sides now? she doesn't wantto do it. "what can i do for you?"
91% success ratecampbell alexander woman: your 11:00 appointment is here. i don't have an 11:00. woman:wait, you can't go in there. get your hands off me.mr. alexander, i'm sara fitzgerald,anna's mother. it's okay, gloria. are you sure? i don't mindcalling security.
campbell:no, no. thank you. what can i do for you,mrs. fitzgerald? the legal agefor emancipation of a minor is 14 in the stateof california. it's the law,you might want to check it. anna's 11,you're three years early. i'm aware, she's challenging. she can't. she's too young to stand.
i'm filing for heras guardian ad litem. as what? a familyindependence agency? i have 15 years as a volunteermember of the aclu in addition to whichi have this power of attorney signed by your daughter. this will never hold up.it's not even legal. anna doesn't wantto do it anymore. and 11 years old or not,she has rights. and so long as she wantsto move forward,
i am going to help her. why? what's yourinterest? this isn't a case for you.there's no money. what's my interest? eight hospitalizationsin 11 years, six catheterizations,two bone-marrow aspirations, two stem-cell purges. she was helping her sister. not to mention the side effects,
including bleeding,infections, bruising. filgrastim shots. those aregrowth hormones, am i correct? something like that. drugs for nausea,opiates for pain, ambien for sleep. not exactlythe proper medication for a preteen. every procedure had its risksand complications. anna understood that,she was okay with it.
really? at 5 years old. [scoffs, chuckles] oh, my god, you're good.you're really good. you know, i've seen yourcommercials, right? i mean, who hasn't? i always thought you weresome headline-seeking hack but you have real talent. you almost had me believingthat you cared about anna.
funny, i was about to saythe same thing to you. mrs. fitzgerald,did you ever say to yourself: "maybe i'm wrong, maybe itook it a little too far?" i'll see you in court. sara: you gotta get up. you haven't been out of that bedin two weeks. kate: i'm tired. you can do it. brian:it's beautiful outside.
it's sunny. it's gonna begood for you. i'm too sick. sara: you're not too sick. you're depressed. i'm not gonnafeed you antidepressants they're gonna just make youmore numb than you already are. now, get up. no! hey, baby? you want to tell mewhat's really wrong? i'm tired.don't you get that?
i'm sick, and i'm tired,and i'm ugly. brian: stop it. kate: don't you dare tell me that i'm beautiful,because i'm not. don't you dare tell me thatnobody's gonna stare at me, because they will. sara: oh, god. i'm a freak. come here.
okay, that's it. brian: it's okay. [kate crying] brian:shh. [appliance buzzing] mom? [priscilla ahn's "find my wayback home" playing] thanks, mom. mom, mom.
♪ don't you go ♪ ♪ away ♪ ♪ oh, no ♪ ♪ without ♪ ♪ your love ♪ ♪ i'll never find a way back home ♪ ♪ cause you ♪ ♪ and me ♪ ♪ so happily ♪
♪ make all ♪ ♪ our dreams ♪ ♪ of make believe reality ♪ ♪ la, la, la ♪ photos delivered herein 3 minutes ♪ la, la, la, la, la ♪ kate: this is it. i know i'm going to die now. i suppose i've always known that.
i just never knew when. and i'm okay with it. really. i don't mind my disease killing me. but it's killing my family too. while everyone was so worried about my blood counts they barely even noticed that jesse was dyslexic. look at this place. you see all these kidsaround here? they got a football team,
this olympic-styleswimming pool. horses. they got horses. massive playground here. look at that tarzan ropeinto a lake. there's kids everywhere. you're gonna havea great time there. what? come on, you knowthis is gonna be
like a vacation for you. i'll try harder. it's not about that. hey, look at me. you know how sometimeswhen you see things, they area little mixed up? this place is special becausethey have teachers there that will show youhow to-- straighten it out.
okay. and i can't do that. you're gonna getso good at math. brian:it's gonna be a year,that's it, all right? just tillyour grades are up. if you don't like it,you come right home. [sobbing] all right. kate: i'm sorry, jesse.
i'm sorry i took all the attention when you were the one who needed it the most. sorry i took all the attention dad, i know i took your first love from you. love i only hope that one day, you get her back. mom, you gave up everything for me. your work, your marriage, your entire life, just to fight my battles for me every single day.
i'm sorry you couldn't win. i'm sorry i let and to my baby sis, who was always so very little them hurt you. i'm sorry i let them hurt you. i'm sorry i didn't take care of you. it was supposed to be the other way around. i got you something.
is that me? mm-hm. i'm not done with it, but-- los angeles superior courtstanley mosk courthouse de salvo?i thought she was on leave. she was, she's back. your honor, clearly miss morangezis afraid for her life. at this time,the plaintiff requests
a continuation on therestraining order. man:stand, please. de salvo:mr. morangez,by order of this court you are no longer allowedwithin 1000 yards of mrs. morangezor her residence. you understandhow far a thousand yards is? campbell: judge de salvo had a very public nervous breakdown after her 12-year-old daughter was killed by a drunk driver. she had taken a six-month leave of absence
to deal with her grief and this was the first time i'd seen her back in court. de salvo:you're going to jail. okay, next case, please. man: thank you, your honor. four-eight-five-seven-two. i'd like to see counselin my chambers, please. good afternoon. what's with the dog?
he's a service dog, your honor. de salvo:well, please make surehe behaves himself. i just had these carpetscleaned. campbell: yes, ma'am. good to see you, sara. i wasn't aware you werepracticing. i wasn't planning to,your honor. the complainantis my daughter. what's this about,counselor?
mrs. fitzgerald'syoungest child wishes to be medically emancipatedfrom her parents. there's no legal definitionof medical emancipation, not in the state of california. it's one of thosenew age terms that mr. alexanderhas latched onto. yes, i'm well awareof mr. alexander's reputation. he once tried to sue godin my courtroom. did sue, your honor.
jerome dylan v. the diocese of california. and i won that one. i remember. so? so mr. alexanderwants you to change the law. an 11-year-old can't beemancipated, at least not legally. my client is not seekingto be emancipated, she still loves her parentsand wants to live at home. she just doesn't wanna becut open anymore.
yes, i readthe complaint. what is it exactlythat you're after? limited terminationof parental rights. de salvo:all right. very smart. very creative.i assume you have precedent? yes, planned parenthood v. danforth. mature minor doctrine: smith v. seibly. agrello v. florida. and defense is movingfor summary dismissal?
sara:yes. today, if possible.anna's too young to make a decisionof this size on her own. she doesn't understandwhat it is she wants. she's 11 years old. she changes her mindevery five minutes. you know howyoung girls can be. oh, my god, i'm so sorry. i-- mr. alexander? the best interestsof the child, your honor.
all right. well, i needto see anna. is she here? sara:yes, but i was really hoping to keep her out of it. de salvo: keep her out? mrs. fitzgerald, you justtold me your daughter doesn't fully understandwhat she wants. if you want a decision today, i need to find that out. do you have a problemwith that, counselor?
none whatsoever. well, please send her in. campbell:thank you, your honor. and sara? i'm awfully sorry about kate. you can sit down if you like. want something to drink? i've got... 7up, dr. pepper...
or apple juice. 7up, please. 7up. so you know why you're here? yup. pretty scary stuff, huh? well, i don't really likeeveryone being mad at me. i meant having to take careof your sister all the time. no, i don't mind.i like it.
you guys get along okay? of course,she's my sister. but all those operations, it's gotta bepretty crazy, right? kate: no, no, stop, stop, stop! anna: okay, okay. quietly, girls. this is a hospital,this is not a sorority. i need a urine sample.
but i don't have to go. well, drink something. and i'm not thirsty. listen to me, young lady,i don't like a lot of back talk. drink, don't drink,i don't care. but you just better fill it. what a bitch. right? i'll fill it.
nice and warm. [bleeping] you ready? kate: all set. oh, wait a minute. looks a little cloudy. i think i shouldfilter it again. much better.what do you think? you are disgusting.
[chuckles] and so are you! look at me,crying like an idiot. you're not an idiot. i see idiots every day. you're not even close. you okay? where did you go? can i ask you something?
shoot. what was it likewhen she died? who, dina? yeah, i mean,what did it feel like? i shouldn't havesaid anything. sometimes i just think thingsand then say them. did you know dina? no? she was older than me.
i mean, i saw her on the tvand everything, but i didn't know her. yeah, you're.... i'm real sorry. don't be. there's no shame in dying. man:all rise. i am going to rule againstsummary dismissal.
please clear my calendar and schedule a hearingfor first thing friday morning. [jimmy scott's "heaven" playing] ♪ everyone is trying ♪ ♪ to get to the bar ♪ ♪ the name of the bar ♪ ♪ called heaven ♪ ♪ the band in heaven ♪ ♪ plays my favorite song ♪
♪ they played it once again ♪ ♪ they played it all night long ♪ ♪ heaven ♪ ♪ is a place ♪ ♪ where nothing ♪ ♪ ever happens ♪ kelly:she's usually blowing me off,but eventually-- girl, you need a dayat the spa. sara:yeah, i don't see thathappening--
the beautician,the mani, the pedi, the whole thing. doctor: hello, kate. one to 10, how's your pain? six. doctor: six? all right,let's take care of that. sara:got a minute? she's feelingpretty good today.
sara,these lucid moments are gonna get brieferand further apart. kate's in system failure now.body defenses are at zero. the feverskate's been getting, it's infectionfrom the dialysis. and it's not just in her armor leg, it's in her blood. i wanna see how. i'm sorry,sara, this is it. we're at the end.
dr. chance? what is it,princess? no good, huh? how long? it's--it's hard to say. but if nothing changes... not too long. sara:"not too long"? not too long what?
will it hurt? chance: no. i'll make sure of that. sara:listen, i don't wanna hear talklike that, okay, honey? you just stay strong enoughfor surgery, okay? okay, mom. chance:sara, let's take a walk. chance:let me introduce you to someone.
sara, this is miss swearingen,our home health aide. hi, how are you? good, how are you? i'm good, thank you. have you spoken tothe make-a-wish people? what is this? what is this,the "quality of life" speech? mrs. fitzgerald, you might wantto consider taking kate home. making her comfortable,
managing her pain. no hospices. what is this? you thinkwe should take kate home to die? what do you want me to say,sara? it's an option. look, i know you don'tlisten to anybody, but it's our jobto tell you. death is a normalprocess of life. you need toacknowledge that. no, i don't. who is this broad?
have you spoken to kate? you know what she wants? i don't care what anybody wants. we're doing the operation. chance: what operation, sara? you have anunwilling donor. the hospital won't evenallow it anymore without a court order. you think we don't knowwhat's going on here?
your daughter is dying,and you might want to spend some quality time with her. sara: lookit, sister-- [inaudible speech] kelly:i did it. they look wonderful.don't touch them. i gotta go.going to work. bye. i'll be back. what is masculine?what is feminine?
kids pink - jewelry - soft hands -long hair football - tattoos - dogs -big hands dogs - short hair - tallness taylor made hey, mom?do you know that minnesota is known as theland of ten thousand lakes? well, montana's got, like,a million times that. no, i didn't know that.
what are you here for? the free cocktails. kate:right. happy hour. i'm taylor. aml. kate. apl. a rarity. yeah, right? taylor: you're in remission? kate: today, anyway.
chemo? so, what do you do when you'renot here at the hospital? nothing. just wait for somethingthat makes me come back. well, then maybe we couldhang together sometime? can i getyour phone number? thanks. thanks, mom. i'm taylor, by the way.
sara fitzgerald.nice to meet you. okay, taylor.you're out of here. five-five-five zero-one seven-three. well, i gotta go. i'll call you, kate. kate:so, what do you think? girl, that boy is fine.
i know, right? so do you think he'll call? i don't know, baby, i-- taylor: okay, i just wanted to make sure you didn't give me a bogus number. [regina spektor's "better"playing] sara: the radiation, which ultimately put kate into remission worked its magic by wearing her down. taylor ambrose,
a drug of an entirely different sort, worked his magic by building her up. ♪ if i kiss you where it's sore ♪ ♪ will you feel better ♪ ♪ better, better ♪ ♪ will you feel anything at all ♪ i don't think that we canactually make it tomorrow, so do you mind picking her up? i can totallypick her up.
hi. how are you?no, just eating dinner. you? who was that? oh, that's her newboyfriend, taylor. what?she has a boyfriend? they go to borders togetherand read books. and it's really dorky. do you wanna see a picture? anna:hand me the bag, please. sara:the chicken.watch the chicken, please.
he's actually a really good kid.i like him. thank you. oh, wow. he's, like, really good. sara: cute, right? hey! you did good, katie! [crickets chirping] [distant cars passing] [dog barking in distance]
brian: what's the matter? she's home. [car door opens, closes] [train whistles in distance] i can tasteyour cytoxan. no, it's okay. i kind of like it. besides... they told me yesterdayi'm relapsing.
i start chemonext week. maybe it'll save mea dose. i had a reallygood time. me too. are you awake? i am now. so how was it?was it great? we kissed. you kissed?
what was it like?was it sexy? was it gross? was there a lot of tongue? it was nice. how did you know what to do? i just did. he has scarson his hands... from graft-versus-host. i could feel themwhen we were holding hands. was that weird?
it was kind of like we matched. [indistinct chatter] how far into itare you? just started. a hundred bucks says you won't make it till 3:00without tossing your cookies. you're disgusting. such a slacker.don't you have anywhere to be? no, nowhere.and what are you doing?
you're trying to weaselyour way out of the bet? i'm trying to spare you.although-- [gagging] taylor:okay. okay. here. sorry. what are you talking about?tomorrow it could be me. here. trust me, you need it. trust me.
fun date, huh? hmm. so you had french friesfor lunch, huh? and you lost the bet,pay up. i don't have any money.i'll pay you in sexual favors. that's--that's just great. why don't we askyour mom about that? keep it upand your next date will be duringa bone-marrow aspiration.
just joking. yeah, i hope so. i hate you.i really hate you. hey... [clears throat]so the hospital, it throws this dancefor sick kids. it's really dorky.it's done like a regular prom. with a band and tuxesand punch spiked with platelets and, uh,last year i went stag
and it was really dumb. but i was thinking, well, you're a patientand i'm a patient, and maybe we could, uh -- we could go together. it's a little low,don't you think? you looklike a banana. i think it's very nice.very modest. and it does cover upa lot of cleavage.
really? will it cover this? kate. let's go. sara:just because you're angry, it doesn't mean you have totake it out on the world. she's a bitch. did you see herlooking at my scarf? maybe she liked the pattern. that dress sucked anyway. it was awful.
you know what?i'm not going. i'm never gonna finda stupid dress anyway. don't you think that every girlgoing feels the same way? i don't care aboutany other girl. i just wanted to look good,really good, for one night. [footsteps] are you ready? okay, ready! come here.hurry, quick.
she's coming down. oh, my god. there she is! kelly:that is just so beautiful.look how beautiful. doesn't she look beautiful? wait, stay right there.don't come down. sara:honey, you look so beautiful. no, she looks pretty.okay, wait, wait, wait, stop. kelly:can you just come down?i wanna see your guys'-- wait.
kate, go back up the stairsfor a second. i wanna see you coming downwith your hands. can you look this way, taylor? [click] excellent. wait, hold on,hold on, here we go. wait, i wanna geta polaroid too. hold on. kate?can i see your face? oh, excellent. okay, right there.
if you guys wanna standright there. there we go. ready? okay, yes,stand right there. anna:i didn't get enough pictures.one more, okay? sara:you're kind of blocking it,sweetheart. can you just step--? anna: i got it. kelly, you're in the picture.i can't see them. kelly:you guys standlike you're at prom. yeah, let me seethat corsage.
sweetie, but can i just see--? kelly: say cheese! there we go. excellent. anna: hi. hi. hi. oh, sweet! kelly: that's so-- stop. kelly:yeah, looks good. i like it. mom. mom, please.it's enough, okay?
sara:i need to documentthis moment, okay? just in front. there you-- oh, my god, that's so cute.all right. anna: kate, kate. kelly: oh, my god. [jonah johnson's"with you" playing] do i look pretty, daddy? have some fun. i love you, daddy.
honey, turn around.can i see--? right there. taylor, taylor. ♪ there was hopethere was faith ♪ ♪ there was truth but i just couldn't get it ♪ ♪ now there's love in my life ♪ ♪ can't let it go i just won't let it ♪ ♪ change has played its part ♪ ♪ and it's healed my wounded heart ♪
♪ all i wanna do and all i wanna be ♪ ♪ all i wanna feel ♪ do you wannaget out of here? yeah. where? i know a place. ♪ i want to believe that everything i do ♪ [laughter] oh, my god!oh, my god, i'm gonna fall! i'm gonna fall.
taylor! [elevator bell rings] kate:you ever think about dying? not really. you're not scared? if i didn't have cancer,i never would have found you. so yeah,i'm glad i'm sick. kate: it's been three days, mom. he won't returnmy calls.
i leave messagesand he won't call me. did you guys get into a fightafter prom? well, maybe he's busy, you know? maybe he went out of town for an emergencyor something. maybe it has nothingto do with you. we did it, okay? we did it and nowhe won't call me back. you did it?
that's right. what do you mean, "did it"?you did "it" it? no, but we did some stuff, okay? "stuff"? what kind of stuff? mom, i don't wanna talk about itwith you. i just told you because i'm mad. alice. yeah, sara? taylor,have you seen him?
i was sure somebodyhad told you. bang -4- like ever [greg laswell's "girls justwanna have fun" playing] stop the bus! stop the bus! stop! tell him to stop that bus! hey, stop the bus, dude!come on! goddamn it!
♪ in the morning ♪ ♪ in the middle of the night ♪ ♪ my father says "what are you gonna do ♪ ♪ with your life?" ♪ ♪ well, daddy, dear ♪ ♪ you're still number one ♪ ♪ but girls they wanna have fun ♪ ♪ oh, girls, they-- ♪ ♪ it's all they really want ♪
♪ those girls they wanna have fun ♪ jesse: when i got home i wondered how much trouble i'd be in. buddy? what are youdoing up? can't sleep? i just-- i can't sleep. i'm going to the hospital,spend the night with kate. wanna come? yeah?
yeah. sure, let me just-- i'm gonna get a coffee,get yourself ready. hey, bud. everything okay? sure. you really thinkyou're gonna win? you really expectthe judge to take anna's kidneyagainst her will? well,there's precedent.
there's hart v. brown, masden v. harrison, strunk v. strunk. besides, the court should justmind their own business. why? what's your point? don't start that shit. i'm your sister. what shit? i'm behind you,no matter what. i'll do whatever,and i do.
i'm just not sureyou're seeing the big picture. what big picture, kel? spit it out. i know it's important for youto feel like you never gave up. i mean, who are you if you'renot this crazy bitch mother fighting forher kid's life? but there's, like,a whole world out there. you don't see any of it,nothing. sooner or later, you--
you gotta stop. you gotta let go. i can't. brian: how's she doing? she's exhausted.dialysis really wiped her out. [weakly]i wanna go to the beach. what did you say, baby? she wants to go to the beach. it's the damnedest thing.
she's been talkingabout it all day. dad, he's here. chance:you have to count to what, five? well, you're not counting. you gotta count. one, two, three, four, five. okay. all right,sweetheart. [groans]
all right, you beat me. how's our girl? well, she wantsto go to the beach. the beach, huh? i'm not surethat's a bad idea. she is not gonna beany sicker at the beach than she is here.it might even be good for her. not too dangerous then, huh? i don't think so.
she was dialyzed yesterday and she has no scheduledtreatments until friday. um, how do i--how do i do this? i mean, just get her upand walk her out of here, or--? discharge her for the day. the insurance company willdefinitely not approve this, so we'll have to re-admitthrough emergency. but if she happened to be thereat, let's say, 7:00, i just might be thereto meet her.
it's one day. kate's beenthrough the wringer, so if it's not gonnamake her any worse, i say, uh, take the kid to the beach. [pete yorn's "don't wannacry for you" playing] ♪ don't wanna cry for you ♪ ♪ there's nothing left to lose ♪ ♪ if it can make me feel better ♪
anna:oh, my god! ♪ then i'm gonna cry cry for you ♪ ♪ there's nothing left to do ♪ ♪ turn the lights down low ♪ ♪ and close the door ♪ get your stuff.march in, march out. one minute. hey. what's going on? brian: we're going to the beach. you're going to the beach?
get your bikini. kate? kate, what are youdoing--? mama, please. don't-- wait a second, what is she doingout of the hospital? brian! brian! it'll kill her! give me the keys, i'm taking herback to the hospital. give me the keys, brian!let-- give me--
[both grunting] sara:are you insane?you trying to kill her? brian: i talked to chance. sara: i don't give a shit! you are killing her!you understand? take her to the beach,you kill her! come on. no, please. kate: please! don't do this.
sara: come on, sweetheart. see how upset she is? see what you're doing to her? i'll call cops. do what you gotta do. last 14 years i've let youhave it your way. last 14 years have beenabout saving her! today is not about you. you want to undermine that?
brian:she wants to go to the beach and i'm taking her. she's gonna die! you better come, if you don't,i want a divorce. a divorce? great! good. you got a fucking divorce! we're divorced,mommy and me are divorced. sit in the car.in the car.
sara: no. anna! brian: in the car! sara:brian. give me the keys!this is ridiculous! you're gonna regret this, brian. you understand?you're gonna regret this! brian! katie, sweetie, you gottago back to the hospital! [chantal kreviazuk's"feels like home" playing]
♪ something in your eyes ♪ ♪ makes me wanna lose myself ♪ ♪ in your arms ♪ ♪ there's something in your voice ♪ ♪ makes my heart beat fast ♪ ♪ hope this feeling lasts ♪ ♪ the rest of my life ♪ ♪ if you knew ♪ ♪ how lonely ♪
♪ my life has been ♪ ♪ and how long ♪ ♪ i've been so alone ♪ ♪ and if you knew ♪ ♪ how i wanted ♪ ♪ someone to come along ♪ ♪ and change my life ♪ ♪ the way you've done ♪ ♪ it feels like home to me ♪
♪ feels like home to me ♪ ♪ feels like home all the way back ♪ ♪ where i come from ♪ ♪ where i belong ♪ ♪ a window breaks ♪ ♪ down a long dark street ♪ ♪ and a siren wails ♪ ♪ in the night ♪ ♪ but i'm all right ♪
♪ 'cause i have you here with me ♪ ♪ and i can almost see ♪ ♪ through the dark there is light ♪ ♪ and if you knew how much ♪ ♪ this moment means to me ♪ ♪ i've waited for your touch ♪ ♪ and if you knew how happy ♪ ♪ you are making me ♪ ♪ i never thought ♪
♪ that i'd love anyone ♪ ♪ so much ♪ i don't suppose there's any wayaround this without a hearing? i'm afraid not,your honor. any housekeeping issues?open motion? rule of witness? okay,let's get started. the court callsdr. kenny chow. anna: the doctors talked for what seemed like forever. they said that kate was a miracle.
she should have never made it past 5 years old. they talked about the psychological benefits of donation, and how losing my kidney would affect the quality of my life. they all said that nothing was their fault, and it was a very complex problem. when put to the test most everyone thought that i should give kate my kidney.
but they also said that i was too young to understand the situation fully. and none of them could say at what age i would be able to understand. all in all, they were like me, pretty confused. campbell:but can you tell usone single benefit that anna has receivedfrom any of these procedures? she got to saveher sister's life. the court callsbrian fitzgerald.
[phone line ringing] [ringing continues] hey, it's me. kate: hey. what's going on? i don't know if i can do thisanymore, sissy. it's gonna be okay. do you hear me? i promise. who you talking to?hello?
brian: hello? mrs. fitzgerald,how old was anna when she starteddonating to her sister? she was a newborn. campbell:and at 5, she started donatinglymphocytes, is that correct? what does that involve? giving blood. did anna agree to that?
no, she was 5. so you didn't ask her if theycould stick needles in her arm? i asked her to help her sister,and she agreed. really? didn't two nurseshave to hold anna down because she was fightingso hard? so she didn't completelyagree, now did she? de salvo:mr. alexander, it's just us chickens.no showboating, please. i'm sorry, your honor.force of habit.
mrs. fitzgerald, how old was anna the next timeshe was hospitalized? when kate was 9, she got a-- that's not what i asked.i want to find out what happenedto anna when she was 6. she donated granulocytes. and what's that?more needles? and did you ask anna if she was willingto donate the granulocytes?
her sister needed them.she was the only match. but did you ask her? de salvo:mrs. fitzgerald, answer the question, please. no, i didn't. we talked about it a lot, but no, i didn't askher permission. next was the bone-marrowaspiration. could you describethat procedure for us?
they put needlesinto anna's hips. into the bone? big needles? yes. mm-hm. using your hands, would youindicate to the court approximatelythe size of those needles? it's a tough procedure,am i right? anna had to be hospitalizedafterward. sara: yes. campbell: for how long?
sara:six days. there weresome complications. i see. you add it all up,it's not so innocuous, is it? it's tough to hearit all hashed out that way. i don't see the point. court's well awareof the family's medical history. of kate's history, your honor,but not of anna's. fair enough. proceed.
campbell:mrs. fitzgerald, looking back and only taking into accountanna's well-being, do you think it's reasonableto conclude that you might havetaken this too far? looking at only anna'ssituation, yes, it is. but i have to think aboutmy entire family. but kate comes first? kate's the sick one.
so this isa triage situation. compromising one child's healthon behalf of the other. where's the line? for kate, it's life or death. not for kate, for anna.remember she's why we're here. that's a trick question. because anna isn't the onlyperson in this equation. and if we were looking at itonly from anna's situation, sure, it is brutal.i mean, who wants to be stuck
and poked and proddedby needles? and you can look at meand you can say how awful i am for doing that to my child. you know what? it is awful. but it's not as awful as puttingyour child in the ground. campbell:so you stand up for your family. it's my job. and you stand up for kate. i do.
but the real question is: who stands up for anna? nothing further, your honor. [barking] [barks] de salvo:mr. alexander, does your dog have to go to the bathroom? no, your honor,but i may need a recess. i'm afraid that'sout of the question.
i wanna finish today.next witness, please. the court calls anna fitzgerald. i mean it. if you can't controlyour animal, i'll have him removed. quiet, judge. excuse me? no, no, i was speakingto the dog. the dog's name is judge. i don't care what his name is,i want him quiet.
man:raise your hand. do you swearto tell the truth, whole truth, nothing but the truth? man:please state your namefor the record. hey, mom. hi, sweetheart. sara:you wanna tell uswhy we're here? why you're doing this? for medical emancipation. sara:that's not what i mean.
you love your sister, right? you know she's sick.why won't you help her? [knocking on door] [loud rock playing on stereo] what are you doing in there? [thuds and crashes] come on, kate, just let me in! it smells like boozein here. having a little party.
a party? yeah, a going-away party. see you, mom!goodbye, fucking hospital! damn! what are you doing? i'm going to see taylor. what? no! no! [echoing] no! sara:so you're here
for medical emancipation? right. is that it? is that the only reason? that's the only reason. hold, please.mr. fitzgerald, is there somethingyou wanted to say? i don't know, is there? okay. all right,that is the last time.
if you do not control him, i'm going to have the bailiffremove him. i mean it. campbell: your honor-- de salvo:not another word, counselor. proceed, please. i just want to bein charge of my own body. jesse:no, you don't. down. you want me to dosomething about this?
no, leave it.it's kind of interesting. okay, so you wantto be in charge. anna:yeah. it's my body, i want to be ableto make my own decisions about what to do with it. no. no, i know you,anna fitzgerald, and that's not it. sara:it doesn't add up.for a week now you've been avoidingthe question.
"i can't tell you.""i'm sorry." "i don't wannatalk about it." you've been walking aroundlike nothing's wrong while your sister rotsin that hospital! i don't wanna do it anymore. i don't believe you. you are hiding something, anna. no, i'm not. people give their kidneysto total strangers.
sara: better start talking. anna: i'm talking! you start telling me the truth. i am telling the truth! you're not. because if you are,i don't know you. christ, anna, just tell them. you shut up! tell them why we're here! you promised not to do this!
jesse:tell them!god, you people are so stupid! kate wants to die! anna: stop it! she's making anna do all this because she knowsshe's not gonna survive. that's a lie, jesse! oh, no, it's not! kate's dyingand everybody knows it. you just love her so muchyou don't want to let her go.
your honor? but it's time, mom.kate's ready. that's not true. kate would have told me. your honor, i-- mom, she did tell you. brian:she did. she told you a million times.you didn't wanna hear it. mr. alexander.
[echoing] mr. alexander. [dog barking distortedly] anna: right then, i understood the real reason why campbell alexander took on my case. it wasn't for the notoriety. he was an epileptic. he knew what it was like to not have control over his own body. kate: anna?
sissy. ohh-- don't worry. it's just the new medicinegetting ready for the kidney. you in pain? pain? my whole life is a pain. this is the end, sissy. it just gets scarierfrom here on out.
mom's gonna chop meand cut me till i'm a vegetable. two cells in a petri dish that she shockswith an electric cord. you'll be all right. it's over. time to go. i need you to do me a favor,sissy. what favor?
you can release me. are you certain you don't wannatake the rest of the day off? oh, no, your honor.i'm fine. anything for a recess,right? so, anna, for the record. did you tell kateyou would stop being a donor so that she could die? and what did she say? anna: mom and dad are gonna kill me.
what am i supposed to tell them? kate:tell them you're important too. tell them you wannaplay soccer. tell them you wannacheerlead. they'll neverbelieve me. yeah, they will. and you wanna know why? because it's the truth. anna: oh, boy.
anna:you scared? no. i know i'll be okay. what do you think happens? i mean, where do you go? i don't know, baby. but who knows? wherever it is, maybei'll run into taylor. will you wait for me? if you go anywhere crazy,will you wait?
i mean, how willi know how to find you? if you're ever lost or scared go to montana. montana? that's where i'll be. anna:okay. what did she say, anna? she said, "thanks." all right, i thinki have enough information
but before i make my decision, i'd like to visit kate,if that's all right. it's hard to say. it takes from anywherebetween 24 and 48 hours or so. woman [over speakers]: radiology therapist to room 231. radiology therapist to room 231. pervis: hey, sweetheart. how you feeling? hi, sweetie.
hi. hey, you look good. you do. look, i got you this book, okay? it's full of guided meditations,visualizations, healing stuff. really good for you, okay? keep fighting. a lot of living to do,okay? all right, promise me? promise. promise?
hey, you let the catout of the bag, you naughty boy. i didn't know what else to do. hey, you know whatyou did? you know how braveyou are? how about some pizza? i'm up for that. definitely. definitely. pervis: yeah. tommy's wife: good timing.
i'll get the pizza. ellen:yeah, anna wants a slice. kelly:i'm just gonna pass it out. there's cheese-- tommy: there's an idea. kelly:and pepperoni and everything. tommy's wife:you guys want cheese, right? sara: anna wants a piece. tommy's wife:of cheese, pepperoni?
anna: i want pizza and 7up. you've just gotta tell yourselfyou're gonna get better. tell your brain to heal yourself and work on itwhile you're sleeping. i'm not kidding. no, i will. i promise. subconscious mindis a really powerful thing. yeah, you know,it's like this lady i saw on tv. she would talk to her cancercells and ask them to go away.
and eventually they did. i did not make this up,this is true. "go away, cancer cells." tommy's wife: yeah, like that. "out." speaking more sincerelythan that. tommy: what about that prisonerstory? prisoners are in therefor 10 years and practicing theirinvisible golf swing.
they practice, and see itin their mind so by the time they get out,boom, they're scratch golfers. it's true. i've even heardabout those mothers the ones who getsupernatural power and they can lift up a carand save their babies. it's amazing. tommy's wife:miracles happen every day. pervis: that's right. this world isn't made upof science and medicine.
there are powerful thingsout there that none of us can understand. tommy: read the book. kelly: there's more over here. sara: we'll read the book. kate: i promise,i'll read the book. sorry, guys, everybody's gottago. visiting hours are over. seriously, out. tommy's wife: we just got here.
tommy: we just gotta eat.i'm personally starving. tommy's wife:see you really soon, okay? [muted dialogue] [mouths] come on. kate: hey, guys? i love you all, but could you go home? i need some time with mom. let's go. come on. [whispering indistinctly]
you don't wanna talk? nope. kate:are you mad at me? i'm not mad at you,i'm just mad. you gotta get some rest,okay? you be strong for surgery. i made this for you. what is it? it's everything.
it's us. it was a good one,wasn't it? the best. remember that summerwhen i went away to camp? and i was so scaredthat i'd miss you guys. before i got on the bus you told me to takea seat on the left side right next to the window so i'd be able to look backand see you there.
i remember. i get the same seat now. it's gonna be okay, mom. i promise. anna: my sister died that night. i wish i could say that she made some miracle recovery but she didn't. she just stopped breathing. and i wish i could tell you that there was some good
that came out of it. that through kate's death we could all go on living. or even that her life had some special meaning like they named a park after her, or a street or that the supreme court changed a law because of her. but none of that happened. she's just gone. a little piece of blue sky now. and we all have to move on.
[knocking] a few days later, i got a surprise visitor. somebody herewants to see you. anna:hey, judge. i brought this for you. we won. you still haveto do your homework and go to bedwhen your parents tell you to but you're now officiallymedically emancipated.
ninety-percent success rate,right? well, i suppose i should go. thanks for stopping by, mr. a.it was really good to see you. you too. if there's ever anything elseyou need, you know? judge. ♪ everyone is trying ♪
♪ to get to the bar ♪ anna: life is different now. a lot has changed in the last few years. mom went back to work, rebuilt her practice and is now making a very nice living. dad took an early pension and now spends time counseling troubled inner-city youths. and jesse's doing best of all. after kate died, he turned his life around.
he went back to school and got himself a scholarship to a fancy art academy in new york. and even though we've grown up and moved away every year, on kate's birthday, we all take a vacation together and it's always to the same place. i'll never understand why kate had to die and we all got to live.
there's no reason for it, i guess. death's just death, nobody understands it. once upon a time, i thought i was put on earth to save my sister. and in the end, i couldn't do it. i realize now, that wasn't the point. the point was, i had a sister. she was fantastic.
one day, i'm sure i'll see her again. but until then our relationship continues. [jeff buckley's "we all fallin love sometimes" playing] ♪ wise men say ♪ ♪ "it looks like rain today" ♪ ♪ crackled on the speakers ♪ ♪ trickle down the sleepy subway train ♪ ♪ for heavy eyes could hardly hold us ♪
♪ aching legs that often told us ♪ ♪ it's all worth it ♪ ♪ we all fall in love sometimes ♪ ♪ the full moon's bright ♪ ♪ and starlight filled the evening ♪ ♪ we wrote it and i played it ♪ ♪ but something happened ♪ ♪ it's so strange this feeling ♪ ♪ naive notions that were childish ♪
♪ simple tunes that tried to hide it ♪ ♪ but when it comes ♪ ♪ didn't we? ♪ ♪ did we? ♪ ♪ should we? ♪ ♪ could we? ♪ ♪ i'm not sure but sometimes ♪ ♪ we're so blind ♪ ♪ struggling through the day ♪
♪ when even your best friends say ♪ ♪ don't you find? ♪ ♪ we all fall in love ♪ ♪ sometimes ♪ ♪ uuu, mmm ♪ ♪ mmm, mmm ♪ ♪ mmm, mmm, mmm ♪ ♪ m, m, m, mmm ♪ ♪ m, mmm ♪
♪ oh, yeah ♪ ♪ and only passing time ♪ ♪ could kill the boredom we acquired ♪ ♪ running with the losers for a while ♪ ♪ and our empty sky was filled with laughter ♪ ♪ just before ♪ ♪ the flood ♪ ♪ painting worried faces ♪ ♪ with a smile ♪
♪ oh, ooo ♪ ♪ uuu. we all fall in love ♪
