A documentary film on Eva Markvoort, a young Canadian woman who made headlines by blogging about her battle with cystic fibrosis and double-lung transplant, will make its U.S. television premiere on May 3.
Markvoort, who received a double-lung transplant in 2007, blogged at 65_RedRoses about her life, family and experiences. Afer a long battle with transplant rejection, Markvoort died in March 2010 at the age of 25, but not before she recorded an emotional farewell video that drew more than 150,000 views in 24 hours.
The recent documentary film, titled “65_RedRoses,” is a personal and touching journey that takes an unflinching look into the lives of Markvoort (23 years old when the film was made) and her two online friends who also were battling CF.
Unable to meet in person because of the spread of infections and super bugs, the girls became each other’s lifelines through the Internet, providing unconditional love, support and understanding long after visiting hours were over. Made at a critical turning point in their lives, the film travels the distance the friends cannot go themselves, capturing the compelling and often heartbreaking realities they face, just trying to take each breath.
65_RedRoses redefines the traditional scope of documentary film in an electronic age, leaving viewers of a new appreciation of life and the digital world. The film received the Most Popular Canadian Film Award at the Vancouver International Film Festival in 2009; it also was named the Most Popular Canadian Documentary by the National Film Board.
The documentary will air at 9 p.m. eastern (8 p.m. central) on Thursday, May 3, on the Oprah Winfrey Network. For more information, visit the 65_RedRoses website.