New Film Highlights Brewster’s Latham Center To Premiere At Chatham Orpheum June 18

What would you do if your child was diagnosed with a life-threatening disease for which there is no known cure? If the diagnosis is Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS), a rare genetic disorder, the answer may lie in the place documented in a new film, "Latham," screening June 18 at the Chatham Orpheum Theater. 

 The journey of Annika and her family to Latham School for treatment and care is just one of the stories highlighted in the film, which shares "deeply personal perspectives from students, families and staff," according to the documentary's filmmaker Kim Roderiques of Chatham. The film reveals "a community shaped by resilience," she added.

 Brewster-based Latham Centers is a nationally recognized nonprofit human services organization, home to the world's largest program serving children and adults with PWS. They offer a residential school in Brewster for young people ages 8 to 22, as well as 10 community-based homes from Brewster to Plymouth for adults.

 Prader-Willi Syndrome is a "life-threatening genetic disorder that manifests with insatiable appetite, mild to moderate developmental delays, and emotional and behavioral problems," according to Latham's website. 

 Jonah Steinhart, Annika's father, wrote about his family's struggle in the June issue of Currents magazine. "What do you do when there seems to be no place in this world for your child?" The answer for their family, after years of struggling, spiraling downward in their search for help, was Latham School and their residential program for children.

 The struggle of this family, and others like them, to find treatment inspired Roderiques, who has championed the work of numerous local nonprofits, to raise awareness of this disease and the work being done locally. 

"We are so lucky to have this amazing residential center in our backyard," she said.

 Children diagnosed with PWS often engage in oppositional behaviors including hitting and running away in an insatiable need to eat, Roderiques said. 

"It's like an addictive personality," she added. "They have a painfully slow metabolism and need to exercise, yet they are often too tired to engage. They need to be monitored constantly and food must be locked down," she said.

 After years of searching for a way ahead, Annika's family found Latham nine years ago when she was 9 years old. "There was an immense sense of relief," Stenihart wrote, "she was safe." Annika is now 18 and she visits her parents in California regularly, Roderiques said, adding "she loves to go visit but she loves to come home" to Latham.

 Kiara is a behavioral specialist who has worked with Annika for years. Her journey, along with Annika, is chronicled in the film. 

"When I first started working with her, she was shy. One thing I have learned from working with people with PWS is they want to trust you and you want to earn their trust as well."

 The film features insight into the work at Latham, Roderiques said, from Dr. Patrice Carroll, director of PWS services at the center. "Looking at a residential school for a child with PWS is giving them the chance to be the best person they can be, and a chance for your other children and you, yourself, to be the best you can be," she stressed. "That opportunity to be responsible, to be loved, to be important, that's the key to everything."

 This is the sixth documentary from the team of Roderiques and videographer Geoff Bassett. The film will screen at 5 p.m. on Thursday June 18 and runs 45 minutes. Tickets are $20 and are available at chathamorpheum.org.

 Following the screening, a panel discussion led by Stacy Ward, CEO of the Prader‐Willi Syndrome Association of the USA, will offer additional perspective on the film and the broader PWS community. Proceeds from the event will directly support Latham Centers and its programs. 

For more information on Latham, visit www.lathamcenters.org/who-we-are/.