Back in November, Ray D’Arcy spoke to Simon Fitzmaurice: father, brother, husband, son, writer and filmmaker.
5 years ago, Simon was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND), a debilitating neurological condition that left him without the ability to move.
He was given 3 years to live and, when his lungs finally gave in, doctors told him it was time to die. He refused and with an incredible amount of strength, resolve and courage, he now lives at home in Greystones with his wife Ruth and his 5 children, Jack, Raife, Arden, Sadie and Hunter. He communicates through an Eye-Gaze computer and has a ventilator to keep him alive.
Ray visited Ruth and Simon at home to chat about how they were getting on and to find out more about Simon's latest project: a film script called My Name Is Emily. Simon was hoping to get it into production in the new year and to direct it. It’s a story which celebrates love, life and is imbued with Simon’s positive perspective.
The movie is being funded by the Irish Film Board, but they needed to raise an extra €200,000 to be able to make it with Simon at the helm. He needs everything from spare batteries, to special monitors, computers and a custom adapted car to be his base on set. The crew will work longer hours and extra days to ensure Simon can direct the film from start to finish.
Happy news!
Thanks to the Irish Film Board, the film’s Swedish co-producers and generous donations from supporters, My Name Is Emily has hit its target and it has been given a GREEN LIGHT!
The producers now have the budget to officially launch into prep and will spend the next month and a half storyboarding, rehearsing, location scouting and doing everything they need to do to plan the shoot.
Then on 1st September, all going well, Simon Fitzmaurice will be on set directing the film he began writing 5 years ago.
Listen back to Simon and Ruth chatting to Ray about My Name is Emily in November 2013:
Ray also spoke to Simon last month about a book that he’s written called It’s Not Yet Dark. It's a book about life, love and living with MND against all odds:
