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Jonathan Jaffe
Jaffe Communications, Inc.
908-276-6500

Filmmaker with ALS to Traverse New Jersey to Raise Awareness of Fatal Disease

Patrick O’Brien to Shoot Documentary of his Journey WASHINGTON CROSSING, Pa.
– July 19, 2006 – Patrick O’Brien, a 31-year-old award-winning filmmaker and
New Jersey native, is dying from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as
ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease.

To spread awareness about ALS, O’Brien is launching a cross-state trek on
his motorized wheelchair from Washington Crossing, Pa. to Asbury Park, N.J.
He will begin in Washington Crossing Historic Park on Aug 2, and is slated to
end his trip at the boardwalk in Asbury Park on Sunday, Aug. 6.

The journey will be filmed on 35mm as part of a documentary O’Brien is developing
about his battle with ALS. Titled “October 5, 1974,” (working title) the 75-minute
film will graphically show the effects of ALS on a healthy young man, leading
to his eventual demise.

There is no known cure for ALS, which attacks the body’s motor neurons, or
nerve cells, and proves fatal within an average of two to five years. As motor
neurons are destroyed, a person with ALS loses his or her ability to walk, speak,
swallow and breathe.

“All of my adult life, I have been making films - films about unconventional
characters; stories about vulnerable souls,” O’Brien said. “Now, in the last
years of my life, the film I am making, the character I tried so hard to write
all these years, the story which eluded me on paper, is unfolding across my
body, inside my nervous system, and in front of my eyes. I have become the character
in the film which I have been striving to bring to the screen all these years.”

“I am making this journey to make a difference in the way our government and
our world sees this ugly, soul-wrenching, insidious illness,” O’Brien said.
“By bringing attention to this fatal diagnosis, victims, their families, and
their communities will benefit from a shift towards better resources, more accurate
healthcare policies, and improved treatment options.”

O’Brien, and his supporters, have launched the Patrick O’Brien Foundation,
a non-profit group that is raising funds through the trek to support pioneering
ALS research and create better awareness about the disease.

Unless we do something, 300,000 seemingly healthy Americans living now will
die from ALS. It is a fact that, if we solve the mystery of ALS, we will learn
what we need to know about other devastating brain diseases including Alzheimer's,
Parkinson's and Huntington's, which afflict over six million people.

“My journey is about what it means to be alive, what it means to die, and what
is important in life.” O’Brien said. “This is a celebration of freedom and hope.”
To sponsor Patrick O’Brien as he traverses the state of New Jersey in his powerchair
to raise ALS awareness, please logon to www.patrickobrienfoundation.org.

Who: Patrick O’Brien, an award-winning filmmaker, is documenting his wheelchair
journey across New Jersey to raise awareness for ALS.

When: Wednesday, August 2, 2006 12pm

Where: Washington Crossing Historic Park Washington Crossing, Pa.

ARRIVAL: Sunday, August 6, 2006 3 pm
Howard Johnsons
1213 Boardwalk
Asbury Park, NJ 07712

Download PDF

If you would like to sponsor Patrick and the camera crew with food, accommodations, or other support please contact producer Marcia Mohiuddin: Marcia@patrickobrienfoundation.org

Or if you would like to donate directly or by the mile (60 miles), simply go to PayPal by selecting "Donate Now" below.

We would like to thank everyone who helped make the White Rabbit Benefit on June 28, 2006 such a success. The volunteers, supporters, family and friends who came out to support Patrick and his new foundation all helped to jump start The Documentary and Trans-Jersey Expedition. The hard work and encouragement of everyone involved makes a direct impact towards empowering the Foundation in its campaign for ALS Awareness. We hope to see each and every one of you at our next event on August 6 at the Howard Johnson’s in Asbury Park, NJ.

White Rabbit Benefit Photos

View Press Release PDF

Patrick O'Brien Foundation met with Senator Clinton to push her for a National ALS registry. The event took place as part the 3-day ALS Advocacy Conference in Washington, DC. The registry is a critical part of finding a cure for ALS. It would help map out who has ALS and where they are located. Unlike other diseases like AIDS and cancer, ALS has no formal registry.

For more info go to:
http://www.patrickobrienfoundation.org

Patrick O'Brien Foundation, established to help filmmakers with ALS and other motor-neuron diseases, is announcing the launch of it's website: www.patrickobrienfoundation.org and of it's hallmark film "October 5, 1974", a feature length documentary following founding member Patrick O'Brien's strange yet enlightening journey with ALS (commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease). The film is 1/3 of the way complete and previews for it can be seen at the foundation website. The foundation is accepting donations for ALS research, funds for an upcoming diaphragmatic pacing medical operation which will help Patrick breath on his own longer as well as funds to compete the film. POB Foundation is a non-profit organization and all contributions are tax deductible.

[Photos of Patrick O'Brien]

For more info go to:
http://www.patrickobrienfoundation.org