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Health & Fitness

Movie Review: The Power of Two

The Power of Two is a true story about twin sisters with Cystic Fibrosis getting the message out about the importance of organ donation.

The Power of Two is a documentary about twin sisters who grew up with cystic fibrosis and both ended up having lung transplants. The two now travel the world and are advocates for organ donation and cystic fibrosis awareness.

Growing up with cystic fibrosis (CF) Ana and Isa were constantly in the hospital. CF is a debilitating lung disease that has no cure and doctors originally told their
parents that they would be lucky to make it past the age of 10. The twins
leaned on each other for support and got through some difficult procedures.
Always feeling a little like outcasts they started attending a summer camp for
kids with CF. This helped them learn from others with the disease but they also
learned the mortality of their situation as many of the friends they made at
camp died from the disease.

As they got older there were advances in lung transplants, which meant that there was now some hope for them. When they were in their 20s, their disease progressed rapidly and both ended up getting double lung transplants. Ana in 2000 and Isa in 2004. After getting a second chance at life they wrote a book “The Power of Two: A Twin Triumph Over Cystic Fibrosis,” and both are now married and travel the world spreading the word about organ donation and cystic fibrosis. Being half Japanese, one of the places they go to is Japan where organ donation is not very accepted.

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This is a very powerful and inspirational movie. Ana and Isa are very charismatic and their enthusiasm for what they are talking about is infectious. They are very candid about what they went through. They open up about the friends they lost, their scars from the surgery, and all the medication they need to take. When they head to Japan their message is even more personal. Since their mom is Japanese they realize that if they were born in Japan they would not have had their transplants and most likely would not be alive today.

This is a very personal movie for me since my dad had a heart transplant in 2006 after suffering a major heart attack. When you know someone who had a transplant you get a new understanding of the power of organ donation. Like Ana and Isa, my dad participated in the United States Transplant Games and is very thankful for a every new day he has. His new motto is celebrate life.

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One of the hardest parts about transplants is when you know that it is the only thing that can save someone’s life but for that to happen someone else has to die. This movie does a good job a showing that internal struggle. It also shows Ana and Isa meeting the family of their organ donors which not everyone can do. My dad has written letters to the donor's family and has not got a response.

I hope this movie shows people the power of organ transplants and encourages them to sign up to be a donor. 

Now on Video on Demand (VOD), iTunes and other digital outlets.

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