“I share my story so others know they are not alone.”
-Terah Williams
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SEIZE THE DAY FUNDRAISER
Help us purchase a much needed hard drive to move Orange Kite Productions closer to completing our important documentary film “SEIZE THE DAY”.
After shooting for over five years, we’re at a significant point in finishing this story of Terah Williams. Terah is a 28 year old woman fighting for the ability to live a normal life, despite her medical condition and the systemic racism she has faced within broken social systems.
Black Americans represent the highest percentage of people affected by epilepsy, and through this story we begin to understand the situation facing marginalized citizens when lack of insurance and poor delivery of health services provide few options.
Your contribution towards our $3,000 goal will enable the purchase of a hard drive for backing up footage, and facilitate moving toward post production.
SEIZE THE DAY is fiscally sponsored by Thriving Roots Initiative, a non-profit organization dedicated to informing social issues. Our previously produced BEING MICHELLE is a multiple awards-winning documentary focusing on disability justice issues, and we’re proudly carrying on our tradition of humanistic, forward-thinking films with SEIZE THE DAY.
Please Give! Thank you.
All donations are tax deductible through the 501(c)3 nonprofit Thriving Roots Initiative.
LOGLINE
SEIZE THE DAY follows the journey of Terah Williams, a 23- year old woman fighting for a normal life, despite a medical condition causing ongoing seizures, and the systemic racism she faces within broken social systems threatening to tear her life apart.
SYNOPSIS
What happens when broken social systems tear your life apart? SEIZE THE DAY explores the journey of Terah, a young woman struggling like many marginalized people in a society set on knocking you down. Faced with a severe form of epilepsy that restricts her physically and socially, Terah has had more than her fair share of setbacks. A failed health system and unjust judicial policies have Terah navigating a complex web of challenges without a safety net. Will new technology and a prominent medical advisor provide hope for better health, or will she be misled and let down, which is all too common for poor, uninsured people?
SEIZE THE DAY encapsulates the journey of three generations of Black women, with Terah as the nucleus surrounded by her mother and grandmother, as they hold on to personal triumphs, and fight to maintain their mutual support. Despite a multitude of setbacks, this is ultimately a story of perseverance. We experience the unjust aspects of the US healthcare and insurance systems faced by the uninsured, the inability to provide nutritious food for everyone, and the role of intergenerational trauma and racism within a culture that denies their influence on physical and mental health.
“African-Americans account for nearly one-third of all who have been diagnosed as having epilepsy.”
CONNECTION TO THE STORY
Director/Producer Atin Mehra experienced seizures in his childhood, most likely onset by trauma and malnutrition. Atin was able to access support from Ayurvedic, homeopathic and allopathic doctors who helped address underlying issues and the seizures stopped. In Atin’s birth country of India, access to qualified doctors from varying backgrounds are generally accessible to the larger population.
Producer Denise Hamilton has direct experience with the discrimination Black Americans face in the U.S. healthcare system. As caregiver to her elderly mother, she has seen examples of healthcare options not being offered to BIPOC, as well as uncaring medical staff.
The producing team has previous experience with the award-winning BEING MICHELLE, a feature-length social impact documentary that also addresses the struggle Disabled individuals face accessing basic human rights, specifically those living with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
“Racism is absolutely
a health crisis.”
“All children should have the basic nutrition they need to learn and grow and to pursue their dreams.”
Atin Mehra
DIRECTOR/PRODUCER/DP
Mae Thornton Mehra
PRODUCER
Denise Hamilton
PRODUCER
Rajiv Sanghvi
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Tanya Ward
SOCIAL IMPACT PRODUCER
Lisa Gonzales
ADVISOR
Isabella Vargas
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
Jacquill Moss
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
Kimberley Browning
CONSULTING PRODUCER
Stephanie Filo
EDITOR
Martin Walter
EDITOR
Leon Lacey
COMPOSER
Carl Braz
COLORIST
Alyson Larson
CAMERA/ASST. EDITOR
Jason Smith
CAMERA
Mike Abela
CAMERA
A woman standing outdoors at sunset or sunrise, holding a small plant, with a desert or arid landscape and hills in the background.
Two women sitting outside in conversation, with one woman appearing to listen attentively.
Four women walking in a park during daytime, with trees and a small group of people in the background.
Two women standing outdoors in a snowy landscape, taking a selfie together. Both are wearing winter jackets, hats, and face masks. The woman on the left has a beige knit hat and a purple face mask, while the woman on the right has a yellow-green jacket with a hood and a blue face mask. They are close together, with the woman on the right's arm around the other.
A woman rollerblading on a path beside a lake during autumn, with trees and leaves sheathing the ground.
A woman with reddish-brown braided hair pins a photo to a collage of pictures on a wall, including artwork and photographs of children and adults.
Thriving Roots Initiative is a non-profit media company working in collaboration with marginalized populations to produce dynamic films and compelling content that expose injustice. Founded in 2019 by Mae Thornton Mehra & Atin Mehra, Thriving Roots Initiative believes in equality for children and all human beings. We harness the power of storytelling to serve as a catalyst to protect, strengthen, and sustain marginalized populations.