Help Me Communicate (2021)

Help Me Communicate (2021)
Rett syndrome is a degenerative neurological condition that typically affects girls during early stages of development. Symptoms of the condition can range from poor mobility, hypertonia (poor muscle tone) repetitive hand movements, which can worsen into losing the ability to walk, being unable to communicate, seizures and even developing scoliosis.
To better understand the complexity of the condition, Debi (mother of Shona who has Rett) and Elaine (Shona’s Grandmother) explain the difficulties they have experienced looking after someone with Rett on a daily basis. Reverse Rett, a charity in Manchester, details their plans for clinical trials in the future and how fundraising will help them achieve that, whilst also explaining their personal motivations for research into Rett. A research team at The University of Edinburgh led by Dr Stuart Cobb are working in a gene therapy consortium with particular focus on a protein found in DNA called MECP2, which is the key to understanding Rett syndrome. Alongside their colleagues from across the globe, there is a unified effort to accelerate gene therapy research which may lead to a cure for the condition.
Director & Producer -
Co-Producer - Sunita Hammond & Ben McCabe
1st Assistant Director & Second Camera Operator - Sil Derkx
Director of Photography & Camera Operator - James Raeburn
Audio Engineer - Sarah Carruthers
Editor - Gregor Neil McAlpine
Special thanks to Victoria Rees with the European Pharmaceutical Review & Drug Target Review
Special thanks to:
University of Edinburgh
Reverse Rett
SAE Glasgow
For additional information please visit:
www.reverserett.org
www.reverserett.org.uk
www.nhs.uk/conditions/rett-syndrome/