If you’re a fan of indie documentaries and contemplating the purpose of life, you’ll probably like Gabe.
Long before the filming began, Gabe Weil’s story started in St Louis. He was just a few years old when his parents realized something wrong with his health. He was diagnosed with Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy. His movement slowly deteriorated until at age 10, he could not leave his wheelchair.
Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a rare genetic disease, which causes progressively worsening muscle weakness. Over time, it can cause weakness in cardiac and respiratory muscles. There is no cure for the disease. There are several treatments to help manage symptoms, one of which recently received a controversial rejection from the FDA. To learn more about this rare disease, click here.
Gabe grew up struggling not only with the physical challenges of living with DMD, but also with the a looming awareness that he was only projected to live to 25 years old. While his friends would be just settling into their newfound adulthood, he would be nearing the end of his life.
Despite this harrowing prophecy, Gabe went on to pursue a fulfilling life. He started school at Washington University in St. Louis, where he studied psychology. Because of his physical difficulties, he was paired with Luke Terrell, another student who had applied to be his designated notetaker. Terrell followed Gabe to his classes, taking over on tasks that were hard for Gabe, like writing down notes or speaking with professors. Terrell actually stayed around the university a semester after his own graduation to continue to work with Gave. During the process of being together every day for years, the two guys formed a close friendship. Terrell says that nobody has ever impacted his life the way Gabe has.
Gabe graduated from college in 2013, at 25 years old. 25 was a big year, one Gabe and his family and friends had been preparing for.
Right before his graduation, Gabe went to a doctors appointment that flipped everything he thought he knew about his life story: he had been misdiagnosed. He wasn’t at the end of his life, he was only halfway through. He is now expected to live until age 50.
Everything Gabe knew was called into question. Since he was a child, he had only been given 25 years to plan for. Learning that you’re going to live and grow for another 25 years obviously falls in the good news category, but there’s also a big question it leaves. Now what?
This is where the filming began. Each day, each new experience and accomplishment that Gabe had never been supposed to have, Terrell filmed. It wasn’t a documentary at the beginning, but a testament to Gabe’s life and survival. Gabe was shaken by the people who would approach them while filming, and say that he inspired them. He felt this was a covert word for pity. Part of the film is trying to discover or unravel what people meant when they said that– perhaps in the reels of film, the inspirational aspect of DMD would become more clear for Gabe.
Over time, the filming evolved into a documentary that is now completed, titled “Gabe.”The film celebrates trust and openness. It explores what it means to live with purpose, and tells the story of Gabe, who, by a turn of fate, continues to do just that.
