NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC | A CHILD PRODIGY, A PAINFUL DISEASE, A LIFE SAVING TREATMENT
Role: Director, Producer, DoP and Editor
Caesar Sant of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, began playing the violin at age two and as a toddler amazed his music teachers with his advanced abilities. But by the age of five, he had suffered three debilitating strokes due to sickle-cell anemia. His third stroke left him unable to walk or play the violin. Now, as he tries to regain his musical abilities, he has a newborn sister who can provide a bone marrow transplant that could be lifesaving and could ensure he'll always be able to play the violin.
This story was produced, shot and edited in 2015 when I was at National Geographic and was a finalist for Documentary Video for the White House National Press Association. In less than a month, the film was viewed over 1 million times and raised over $50,000 for Caesar’s treatment. In 2021, after 7 years of fighting the disease, his bone marrow transplant was finally completed and he has been cured of sickle cell anemia.
credits
Director, Producer, DoP and Editor: Kathryn Carlson