For my first Neuro Note, I chose the movie Me Before You. In the beginning of the
film, Will Traynor is a young, successful banker who is in a relationship with a
woman named Alicia. Will falls victim to an accident that leaves him paralyzed
from the neck down and using a motorized wheelchair. After his accident, Will’s
life changes dramatically. He and Alicia split up and he becomes fully reliant
on caregivers.
Fast forward a few years, Will’s mother hires a woman
named Louisa Clark as his caregiver. She is happy, upbeat, quirky, pretty much
everything Will is not. She has no experience as being a caregiver, but Will’s
mother believes that she will be good for Will. They have a rocky start; Will
has a hard time with Louisa’s upbeat attitude. They begin to form
a bond and eventually become close friends. Will falls ill, and while the nurse
is taking of him, Louisa notices some scarring from a past suicide attempt.
Louisa discovers that Will has decided to pursue assisted suicide.
Upon discovering this, Louisa decides that she is going to
change his mind and plans a series of trips and outings. Through this process,
Will and Louisa become extremely close and develop feelings for one another.
They have a great time on their adventures, but Will informs Louisa that he
still intends to follow through with the assisted suicide. Louisa is heart
broken and quits as soon as they make it back home. After quitting, Louisa’s
father convinces her to go be with Will in his last moments.
I chose this movie because it is a personal favorite of
mine. I had already seen this film a few times before, but because of the
insight I have gained from the various O.T. courses I have taken, there were
things I noticed watching the film this time that I had not noticed previously.
This film does a great job of portraying the realities of a higher-level spinal
cord injury. It shows the toll it takes on family, the client, and caregivers.
The movie really focuses on the hardships that come with a
spinal cord injury, especially a higher-level lesion. Will goes from being an
active and independent man, to being totally dependent on others for his care.
This takes a serious toll on him mentally. This is ultimately the deciding
factor behind his decision to seek assisted suicide. In his words, he does not
want to live a “half life”.
Another thing I noticed is that the film also does a great
job of portraying an accurate client-caregiver relationship, up until the
falling in love part, that is. Even when Will is angry and rude to her, Louisa still
has to fulfill her position as his caregiver.
My biggest take away from this movie is how Louisa’s
attitude affected Will. Even though she ultimately did not change his decision,
overall, she had a positive impact on his life. In relation to Occupational
Therapy, this goes to show how important a client-centered relationship is.
Overall, I would recommend this movie anyone who works with,
or plans to work with individuals with spinal cord injuries. It gives accurate
insight into the struggles, both physically and mentally, individuals with
spinal cord injuries deal with. It shows the good, the bad, and the ugly of the
client-caregiver relationship and the importance of client centered practice.
References:
Sharrock, T. (Director). (2016). Me Before You[Video
file]. United States: Warner Brothers Pictures. Retrieved July 29, 2019, from
https://www.amazon.com/Me-Before-You-Emilia-Clarke/dp/B01GIIVF6K
