Visiting with Chris Wynn - Celebrated Film Maker and Family Partner Care

On Wednesday October 17, 2012, Chris Wynn, creator of the documentary "Forgetful Not Forgotten" came to visit MAREP (inset picture - Chris and Lisa Loiselle).

Chris works as a freelance editor on short documentaries, public service announcements, and music videos. Forgetful Not Forgotten was his first feature documentary. Chris documented his father (John Wynn) and his family's journey with dementia from early in the illness to John’s final days living with Alzheimer's disease.

As described on the "Forgetful Not Forgotten" website (www.forgetfulnotforgotten.com/), the film presents "an honest, moving, and at times heartbreaking film, Forgetful Not Forgotten weaves past and present to both celebrate the man who was and mourn his painfully slow and steady disappearance."

MAREP was pleased to host Chris for the afternoon as he came down to visit with the local Young Carer's Group. In the fall of 2009, a small group of alumni from Leadership Waterloo Region came to understand the plight of young carers as an issue that needed to be addressed.

The group connected with one of only three operating young carer programs in Canada — the Young Carers Initiative of Niagara — and educated themselves with an eye to motivating local community agencies to join in searching for practical solutions. This effort has led to the development of the Young Carers Project of Waterloo-Wellington, comprising representatives from seven community organizations as well as former young carers with a vested interest in supporting other young carers in the community.

The Young Carers Project of Waterloo-Wellington, in partnership with MAREP, has received funding from the Homewood Foundation for a joint research/knowledge translation project to:

• identify the needs of young carers in our community
• create resources that will help them meet their needs and cope in their roles
• help our community agencies understand how they can better support young carers.

For more information about the Young Carers Group, please contact Lisa Loiselle at loiselle@uwaterloo.ca or please review our Fall 2012 Innovations newsletter to learn more about some of the projects the Group may be involved in.