In Memory of Eva & Meg, a Message from Director Nimisha Mukerji
Dear Eva,
So here we are. Three years ago you left us but I can honestly say that not a day goes by without you. That’s the power of all that energy you put into the world: small drops in an ocean create a ripple effect. We find you in the success of the “Live Life, Pass It On” campaign which, thanks to your artwork, continues to create awareness about the need for organ donation. People see your photo on their hydro bills, driver’s license forms, public transit and on print ads throughout the city. They are reminded that they too can make a positive difference in someone else’s life by becoming an organ donor.
Through social media, we hear stories about your impact on the CF community. The movement you started online is still growing, and new members are always finding their way to us on facebook and twitter. And where you left off with your blog, others took over. Your voice is now echoed through thousands of voices, communicating with us through a global online network. They share their CF experiences, their fundraising efforts and the many impacts (small and big) that you made on their lives. Recently I was at BC Children’s Hospital and I saw a mother and her two children looking at the 65 roses painting you inspired. Those beautiful, colorful images bring joy and comfort to those who need it most.
Nimisha Mukerji & Eva Markvoort
And that big piece of yourself you poured into the film is still being seen and felt around the world. Four years after we premiered at Hot Docs, 65_RedRoses is about to screen again. Only this time not as a small Canadian film made by first-time filmmakers but as one of Hot Docs’ top 20 films from the past two decades. The film you breathed life into has joined the ranks of world-renowned documentaries. Later this year 65_RedRoses will finally begin screening in classrooms, and we know that it is just a matter of time before it makes it’s away across the country.
Eva, those ripples you created have become waves, traveling further than any of us could have imagined. It is impossible to count the ways in which you continue to make our world a better place.
We received the devastating news yesterday that Meg’s life ended too soon as a result of CF. Like you, she left behind so many incredible gifts – the greatest being her beautiful son Aven.
“When despair becomes the standard for a society, then a smile becomes the needed revolutionary act.” – Shane Koyczan
For now we’ll try to rock on and keep smiling.
Love, love, love.
Nimisha
Producer/Co-Director 65_RedRoses
