Planning for Hope = The Documentary

HELP GIVE HOPE A FIGHTING CHANCE
Your generous support and donations are needed to help make this important film a reality and bring to light the often misdiagnosed – and misunderstood – disease of frontotemporal dementia (FTD.)

■ THE FILM
Planning for Hope will be a 1-hour documentary featuring the stories of patients in different stages of battling FTD, with a focus on educating both healthcare professionals and the general public about recognizing and treating FTD. Major sponsorship is provided by the Academy of Molecular Imaging, a central supporter of medical imaging technologies such as PET brain scans, one of the most crucial tools for detection of FTD.

■ MORE ABOUT FTD
Frontotemporal dementia (frontotemporal lobar degeneration) is an umbrella term for a diverse group of disorders that primarily affect the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain — the areas generally associated with personality, behavior and language.

In FTD, portions of these lobes atrophy, or shrink. Signs and symptoms vary, depending upon the portion of the brain affected. Some people with FTD undergo dramatic changes in their personality and become socially inappropriate, impulsive or emotionally blunted, while others lose the ability to use and understand language. Patients taking medications for anxiety or depression may not show the behavioral symptoms associated with FTD, making it even harder to diagnose. Sometimes the earliest signs can be as simple as a change in personality or thought processes … or the simple feeling that something isn’t quite right.

FTD is often misdiagnosed as a psychiatric problem or as Alzheimer's disease, but tends to occur at a younger age than Alzheimer's.

■ HOW YOU CAN HELP
Donations are needed to help complete the final stages of film production and cover distribution and promotion expenses. Your tax-deductible gift will help make a difference for future generations, and all contributions will be gratefully acknowledged in the film credits.

■ TO DONATE
Please make donations payable to SonShine Mountain Retreat, Inc. (along with a note that the donation is for the Planning for Hope project) and mail to:
SonShine Mountain Retreat, Inc.
2425 Highway 9, Black Mountain, NC 28711