Complicated Premieres at Slamdance

Slamdance Film Festival, Los Angeles

Members of the Norris Lab recently had the honor of heading to LA to see the premiere of Complicated at the Slamdance Film Festival. Complicated is a powerful documentary created by multi-award-winning, Oscar-shortlisted director Andy Abrahams and producer Donna Sullivan. This film follows four families affected by Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a genetic connective tissue disorder. Spanning seven years, Complicated captures their unimaginable health struggles and their fight against the systemic failures of the U.S. medical system.

Pushed to the margins of medicine, these children are shuffled through a fragmented healthcare system that prioritizes diagnostics and profit over comprehensive care. A system ill-equipped to properly and compassionately address complex, multi-systemic medical needs. Instead of receiving the care they desperately need and deserve, the children and families featured in Complicated are met with suspicion. They are often accused of exaggerating or faking their illness, and in some cases, even blamed for being sick. As the medical system repeatedly fails them, they are left to fend for themselves.

Alongside the patient advocates and families featured in the film, the Norris Lab is working tirelessly to raise awareness about hEDS and uncover the underlying mechanisms driving the disease, striving for a future where patients no longer face these injustices. Our lab had the honor of being featured in Complicated as a beacon of hope and a driving force in the pursuit of better futures for those living with hEDS through our scientific discoveries. As leaders in hEDS research, the Norris Lab combines cutting-edge science with patient-driven research questions to advance biological and genetic understanding of this complex condition, paving the way for improved diagnostics, treatments, and quality of life for patients.

Beyond telling the deeply personal stories of these families, Complicated unravels the realities of hEDS—exposing the challenges patients face while also shedding light on the urgent need for greater awareness. By increasing understanding among not only the public and peers but also the healthcare community, this film has the power to drive meaningful change in how hEDS is recognized and treated.

To support this critical work and the families affected by hEDS, you can contribute by raising funds for Complicated, ensuring these powerful yet heartbreaking stories reach a wider audience. Your contributions will help drive awareness and advocacy efforts that can lead to better medical care and research advancements. Every donation takes us one step closer to uncovering the underlying disease mechanisms of hEDS, ensuring that patients are no longer silenced by a system that has failed them for too long. Donate to support Complicated at https://openeyepix.org/checkout/donate?donatePageId=67f00dcd66d0781980ecc577 or by scanning the QR code below.

Donate to Complicated