Craig Morrey, an American Living in Okazaki, Japan, is stuck. His three-year-old son, Spencer, is severally handicapped. Spencer cannot walk, talk or feed himself. Craig provides 24 hour a day, seven day a week care to his son. Spencer cannot even swallow by himself. Every few minutes, Craig must clear Spencer's airway. Spencer's eyes are unfocused and his head lolls as Craig gently lays him down on the bed and carefully swabs the inside of his mouth and throat. Japan offers little support to families of handicapped children. Craig had to quit his job and now looks after Spencer full-time. Craig's ex-wife, a Japanese Brazilian, has left him. She took their other child, 1-year old Amelia, to another city several hours away and refuses to help care for Spencer. Because Craig has seen her only four times since her birth, Amelia has little idea who her father is. Craig, however, still hangs on to the hope that he can one day be a part of her life. I think she deserves my love, basically, he said, on a recent CNN news report. His voice cracks and he quickly leans over and kisses the top of Spencer's head. If Craig takes Spencer back to America to get much-needed medical care, not only would his chances of ever seeing Amelia again grow slimmer, but he could also be charged with international child abduction. In addition to tangling with the legal systems of both America and Brazil, Craig must deal with the rigid child custody laws in Japan, leaving him nearly helpless in gaining any custody of Amelia. How long can he stay unemployed, living off credit cards, and caring for Spencer by himself?
A documentary short, Life as Dad is a moving portrait of a man stuck in the middle of an impossible situation. How does one handle the stress of caring for a severely handicapped child, the heartache of having another taken away, and maintain the strength to continue fighting for them both?
www.lifeasdadfilm.com
