For Hope

The selfish son, the idiot brother, the rude parents...not an easy family to live or die in, but then few are. I've always hated Bob Saget but have to give him credit here for showing it like it really is, warts and all. Dana Delaney is one of my all-time favorite actresses--if you've never seen "China Beach" do yourself a big favor--and the only reason I watched this. I'm glad I did...sad, but glad. What a terrible disease.

My name is Mendi and I was diagnosed with Reynaud's Phenomenon and Scleroderma (CREST) at the early age of 15. I saw the movie "For Hope" after I was diagnosed. I was told that I would live approximately 5 years. That is a great deal for a 15 year old to swallow. Not only was I having a hard time coping with the idea, I felt that I needed to hide my fear for my families sake because the news was overwhelming for them as well and I didn't want them to worry more. When I watched "For Hope", I cried for days and yet it also gave me hope. Since I was was 15, I have dreamed of meeting Sharron. When I heard she passed away, I had just lost my finger. Once again I cried because her death was a great loss to all current and future Scleroderma patients. God Bless Bob Saget for continuing to fight for all of us who suffer with Scleroderma and for what his sister believed in!

This movie tells the story of a woman who is diagnosed with scleroderma---it is based on a true story.

Scleroderma is a rare disease that effects 300,000 people in the United States. There are many different forms of the disease and this story shows one of the most difficult types, systemic scleroderma.

"For Hope" tries to give an idea of how most people deal with scleroderma. Because it's rare, it's often misdiagnosed and a correct diagnosis can sometimes take a while.

It is 20 years since this movie was made. All of what is in the movie remains relevant. There still is no cure. There still is no answer on how people get it. But...there are some treatment options to delay the disease. Scleroderma is the most horrific autoimmune disease out there. This movie shows much of what the disease can do. It is well cast and well acted. It is well worth watching, but be prepared that you might shed some tears.

Just to clear something up, Bob Saget's point of this movie was not for it to be some fictional drama only to entertain it's viewers. His intention was to raise awareness of a very difficult and sad disease, called Scleroderma, that most people haven't even heard of but does effect more that several million people, that claimed the life of his sister. This movie is about her battle with that disease.

I was diagnosed with Scleroderma when I was 20 yrs old. It was a very difficult time in my life and everything changed. I have been living with this disease for 9 years, and it has claimed many of my organs. Now I can no longer have children. I hope people will watch this movie and have compassion for those who struggle with life-changing diseases and donate to it's research. Just maybe a cure could be found before long.

I think the story lined talks about a disease and what it does not only to the patient but the family as well, and yes this is not a fun story line to watch, but a necessary one to tell the world so something might get done and cure can be found. If one person made a donation or one Dr realized how to help one of thier patients, then the story was worth telling.