UPDATE: In September 2009 Eva began experiencing health problems and was diagnosed with chronic rejection. In February 2010, when her health was faltering, Eva sent out an online 'goodbye' message on her blog titled "I Love You All".
Since then she has had some uplifting moments. Eva recently received two special honours: she won the Donald Summerhayes Award from the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in recognition of her exceptional commitment to the CF cause. And the University of Victoria presented Eva with the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree that she dreamed of finishing.
Unfortunately, Eva died in hospital on Saturday March 27. She will be missed by many.Watch a story about her death. Listen to an interview with director, Nimisha Mukerji, on As It Happens.
Visit Eva's live blog to read her final posts and watch her memorial ceremony online.
THE FILM: A true testament of the human spirit, 65_RedRoses redefines the traditional scope of documentary film in an electronic age. This personal and touching journey takes an unflinching look into the lives of Eva Markvoort and her two online friends who are all battling Cystic Fibrosis (CF) - a fatal genetic disease affecting the lungs and digestive system.
Unable to meet in person because of the spread of infections and super bugs, the girls have become each other's lifelines through the Internet, providing unconditional love, support and understanding long after visiting hours are over. Now at a critical turning point in their lives, the film travels the distance the friends cannot go themselves, capturing the compelling and often heartbreaking realities they face, just trying to take each breath.
For 23-year-old Canadian Eva Markvoort (aka 65_RedRoses) the clock is ticking as she waits at the top of the donor list for a double lung transplant. She has been told that she will not live more than two years if she does not receive new lungs. An aspiring artist and teacher, Eva remains unwavering in her belief that her pager will go off and she will get the call letting her know a donor has been found. With no way of knowing when or if the pager will go off, her life has been put on hold as she does everything in her power to stay healthy. But with her condition deteriorating at a rapid pace, the window of opportunity is also slowly closing.
Uncensored, uninhibited, and unbreakable, 65_RedRoses explores what it means to be 23 years old and faced with the unknown fate of life or death.
65_RedRoses is a very personal film for directors Philip Lyall and Nimisha Mukerji. The idea for the documentary came in May 2007 when Philip and Nimisha went to visit Philip's university friend Eva Markvoort, who had Cystic Fibrosis. So captivated by Eva's personality and her will to live, they began following her story as she went through the process of getting a double lung transplant.
When shooting began, British Columbia had the lowest donor rate in the country; the team had to prepare themselves for the worst possible outcome, that Eva could die on the wait list. Not knowing when Eva's pager might go off for transplant, they moved full speed ahead with production. The result is an unflinching and emotional journey that extends far beyond the big-screen.
65_Red Roses was directed by Philip Lyall and Nimisha Mukerji for Force Four Entertainmentin association with CBC News Network.
