9000 Needles Documentary - Review
By Emma Suttie, D.Ac
Devin Dearth looks like he could bench press a group of ten year olds without breaking a sweat. He is a championship bodybuilder and goes to the gym every morning to train. A loving husband and father and devout Christian, he and his family live in a small town in rural Kentucky and by all outward appearances, he seems to have the perfect life.
At 40, Devin suffers a devastating stroke caused by a bleed in the brainstem which leaves him paralyzed on one side, unable to walk, with blurred vision and difficulty speaking. In an instant, his life is changed forever.
On top of adapting to the challenges of a serious brain injury, the Dearth family begin their difficult journey as they navigate the healthcare system trying to get Devin the care he needs to recover. They face many obstacles as they discover the frustrations and limitations of the US healthcare system.
As Devin moves from rehabilitation into home care, his family can see that the progress that he showed soon after treatment began has slowed and they worry that without continuous and intensive medical care, Devin will lose his chance to make a full recovery.
Doug Dearth, seeing his brother grapple with his condition and his family struggle to take care of him and administer his care, decides he needs to find an alternative to give his brother a better chance at recovery. He finds a program in Tianjian China that offers a stroke rehabilitation program combining Western and traditional Chinese medicine like herbs and acupuncture. The brothers don’t know anything about Chinese medicine, but they are running out of options and the window for recovery is quickly closing. After proposing it to Devin and his family, they decide to travel to China to try the program.
The community, hearing about this new hope for Devin’s treatment and recovery, rally to the family’s aid and help them raise the funds they need to travel to China so he can participate in the stroke rehabilitation program. Devin and his brother Doug, who is also a documentary filmmaker, go to China and Doug documents the mysterious treatment that his brother receives using acupuncture, herbs and other Chinese medical modalities. We are witness to Devin’s treatment and the struggles he faces while he fights his way to recovery with the encouragement and support of a group of doctors assigned to his care. With their kindness, compassion and wisdom, Devin’s doctors and caregivers in China help him to face the daily challenges of treatment and rehabilitation, and the outcome teaches us that with the fierce determination of the patient and wisdom, knowledge and compassion of the doctor, there is nothing that cannot be overcome.
An incredibly inspiring story.
Watch the trailer.
If you would like to buy the 9000 Needles DVD, please click here.
