A Chance To Help Out
From Slice of Sci-Fi:
Melissa “Fiver” Kern has been a fan of J.R.R. Tolkien since she read “The Hobbit” as a child, and has always loved books. Her heart leaped when she saw the preview for Peter Jackson’s film adaptations of “The Lord of the Rings,” and she has been involved in organizing like-minded “Ringers” in the Southeast for many years now.
The hard truth is that Melissa has recently been diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Essentially, it causes all the motor neurons in the brain to shut down, gradually making the muscles unable to function. It’s very rare (1 in 1 Million) for someone who’s only 34 years old to come down with this, as it mainly affects people between 50 and 70. Life expectancy is 3-5 years from diagnosis, and there is no cure. (She’s had the disease for about a year already.) The disease progressively takes away movement and coordination. In September, she marched with fellow LOTR fans in the annual DragonCon parade. Six months later, she is barely walking, and needs help to climb stairs and get dressed.
The goal of PROJECT FIVER is to deliver a petition to Peter Jackson, New Line, and whoever takes the directorship, asking that Melissa be cast as a costumed hobbit extra in the film. Even if she’s not there when the movies are released, just being part of the production of “The Hobbit,” even if it’s just sitting at a table in the background, will absolutely mean the world to her. And most importantly, it would be her reason to hang on and fight the good fight.
I saw this post and had to add any help I could. Sign the petition, and let’s see if Mr. Jackson can help this lady out.