This year, on 21 June, in a wee village in Scotland a small group will get together to watch a film about a man who died from ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease, also known internationally as Motor Neurone Disease (MND). At the same time, in a cinema in Beijing, people will be arriving from across the sprawling city to see the film, I AM BREATHING. From Russia, Mexico, Kosovo, Kenya, India, Bahrain, Australia and now Boulder, Colorado, people across the world have volunteered to host the film – in village halls, schools, churches, living rooms, pubs, and theaters.

These communities have been inspired by the story of Neil Platt, who died aged 34, 14 months after being diagnosed with ALS/MND. He was determined more people should know about the disease.

Within a year, Neil went from being a healthy young father to becoming completely immobile from the neck down. As his body got weaker, he used his remaining months to communicate about his illness. He collaborated with the filmmakers on I AM BREATHING, wrote a blog, and committed himself to raising awareness around this devastating disease. He was determined to play a part in making ALS/MND history and this fuelled his desire to share his story and build a community of people to join the fight.

That desire, to build a community joined in common cause, is one of the reasons Erin Kelly, the Artistic Director of the BolderLife Festival, was eager to be part of this unique global event. “Ultimately, the BolderLife Festival seeks to promote a more conscious approach to life and death, whether on a personal, community or global level through media and the arts,” she said. “I AM BREATHING, as a film and an event, exemplifies a new way for people around the world to create a community and make a difference in our lives.”

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) first gained national prominence in the U.S. in 1939 when baseball legend Lou Gehrig, in the prime of his life and career, was diagnosed with the disease. Gehrig died two years after his diagnosis. Just this past week, former governor of Massachusetts Paul Cellucci, died from the disease, also two years after being diagnosed.

Every day, 15 people are diagnosed with ALS.  It’s a disorder that affects the nerves and muscles, ultimately leaving people paralyzed and unable to breath on their own. The disease is a death sentence for anyone who has it – there is no cure.  Most people who develop ALS are between 40 and 70, but like Neil Platt, it often strikes people much younger.

Rick Barker, Colorado local and former talk show host on KOA, was diagnosed with ALS in 2012. He recently moved into an assisted living facility in Denver. Not only is he dealing with the devastating physical impact of ALS, but his expenses outstrips his ability to pay them and he has needed to set up a trust for donations. “Asking for help is very difficult,” said Fran Piazza, Rick’s girlfriend, “but we desperately need it.”

ALS isn’t limited to just the person with the disorder, but spirals out to include friends and family. “I worked on an unsuccessful clinical trial for a potential treatment of ALS back in the nineties,” said Boyd McCollum, a co-organizer of the BolderLife Festival screening of I AM BREATHING. “What struck me most was how desperate the ALS community is. They are in a hopeless situation and need researchers to find a cure.” A cure that won’t be available for people like Rick, whose ALS is progressing rapidly.

Neil Platt began a campaign – a campaign that he expected us all to finish. “At the end of this campaign lies a cure,” Neil wrote on his blog in 2009. “I am not talking about miraculous cures, you will all have gathered by now that I am a realist. I’m talking about my living a little longer, giving me the chance to impart more knowledge.”

June 21 is ALS/MND Global Awareness Day. It is the day there will be over 110 screenings in 26 countries of the film I AM BREATHING. And a chance for people in Boulder to come together with thousands of others around the world to make a difference for people like Rick Barker, Neil Platt and everyone who has, or knows someone who has, ALS.

CLICK HERE for information on the Boulder screening.

CLICK HERE to learn more about the film, visit the film website at.

This screening is brought to you in part by Elephant Journal, Silver Canyon Coffee, Alfalfas Market, Nomad Theatre, and Boulder Valley Real Estate.