If you came to the 2009 NaFF, you may have had the chance to meet John Maringouin - director of Big River Man, one of the entries in the Documentary Competition that year. But whether you met him or not, you can take my word for it that John is a great guy (as well as a great filmmaker).
John had been suffering from what he (and his doctors) had thought to be chronic asthma; but as the condition worsened, his insurance company refused to pay for CAT scans or other deeper tests. He dropped them in hopes of finding better coverage, but sadly during that time, his condition worsened and it was discovered that what was causing his difficulty breathing was lung cancer.
Now, without health insurance, he is in need of surgery to save his life. You can give directly to the fund to help him by going here. Or tomorrow night at 9:30 PM, you can attend a benefit screening of Big River Man at the Belcourt (see trailer below) to help raise funds to aid John.
Please consider doing one or the other and if you missed the film several years ago, then now is a great chance to help someone in need and catch a great documentary.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ce432_JmdB8]
