83 minutes / Color
Closed Captioned
Release: 2015
Copyright: 2014
Meet Dana, a feisty, funny, and charming 25-year-old at a crossroads... but not the kind you might expect. Dana lives with Crohn's Disease so severe that she battles every single day—it is unrelenting and she has been fighting it nearly all her life. Spending as much time in the hospital as out, Dana depends on intravenous nutrition, constant vigilance and a wicked sense of humor to keep her alive. Now she faces the daunting task of deciding how she wants to live the rest of her life—coping with the limitations and rigors of her current routine or taking a leap of faith on a complicated transplant that could give her a chance at the normal life she has never known.
SEMICOLON; THE ADVENTURES OF OSTOMY GIRL follows Dana and her unique family in the harrowing months leading up to the biggest decision she has ever had to make—one that can have life-altering consequences. Through it all, Dana, aka Ostomy Girl, confronts each challenge with dignity, grace, and gut-busting humor. Her story is an awe-inspiring testament to the triumph of tenacity and the human spirit in the face of grave adversity.
New: After you've seen Semicolon, watch a follow-up video about Dana.
"Dana gives viewers an honest, enlightening, and heartwarming look at what it means to live with severe Crohn's disease, with her own brand of humor that makes you feel like you've known her for years." —Dr. James Merlino, Cleveland Clinic
"It is beautifully done-with warmth, humor, and accuracy. It will be an inspiration to everyone who is fortunate to view it." —Judith Arner Brown, Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America
"SEMICOLON; fulfills its mission to educate and entertain. Everyone who watches this film cannot help but be moved by the perseverance and strength of Dana while learning about the challenges facing people who suffer from inflammatory bowel disease." —Dr. David A. Schwartz, Director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center and Professor of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
"Inspiring!" —Health Experience Project
"Dana's probably the funniest and most lighthearted person you'll see on screen this year." —Dish Mag
"A compelling take on a subject we need to know more about." —Elvis Mitchell, film critic and host of 'The Treatment'
"Portrays what a lifelong struggle it can be for someone with a severe illness or impairment, and for their loved ones, to gain acceptance. But it also teaches many lessons about grace and dignity in this process for everyone involved." —Lyusyena Kirakosyan, H-Disability Journal
Select Accolades
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Maren Grainger-Monsen, M.D. and Nicole Newnham | 2014 | 56 minutes | Color
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Maren Grainger-Monsen, M.D. and Julia Haslett | 2003 | 47 minutes | Color | English
