Finding Solace and Building a Life Post-Cancer Diagnosis
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Scenes from the inspiring new short documentary “Second Winds.”
An inspiring new documentary follows cancer patients living for their future, a goal that actor – and survivor – Jesse Tyler Ferguson knows well
For most of us, a cancer diagnosis would be the worst possible news. But a remarkable new documentary, Second Winds, captures the powerful personal journeys of three people living with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, a type of blood cancer, who’ve responded to their illness with a renewed sense of purpose and commitment to living more fully.
Directed by Oscar-shortlisted filmmaker Dominic Gill (Planetwalker, Last Call for the Bayou) and from Encompass Films, Second Winds is now available on LA Times Studios Short Docs, Documentary+ and YouTube, with a Roku debut in December.
“Dominic did an incredible job with a subject matter that can be very dark,” said cancer survivor Jesse Tyler Ferguson, award-winning actor, producer and author who hosted Second Winds’ November 13 premiere. “[The film shares] stories about how people overcome cancer and continue on with their lives in positive ways, using these altering moments to start new chapters rather than ending chapters.”
Second Winds is supported by AbbVie as part of its ongoing commitment to help those affected by chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). One of the most common forms of leukemia in adults, CLL is a type of cancer that develops from bone marrow cells.
The 16-minute Second Winds portrays a trio of inspirational subjects: Christina, who was diagnosed in 2013 and now leads peer support groups for newly diagnosed CLL patients; Jeff, a retiree who’s lived with CLL for two decades; and Alejandro, an environmental engineer and father of three, diagnosed in 2020. The film explores how, with support from their families and communities, they found not only strength, but the inspiration to survive and keep pursuing the activities they love (and even discovering new ones), from hiking and cycling to snow skiing and land paddling.
“Anytime you hear the word ‘cancer,’ there’s immediate fear,” said Ferguson, star of the hit ABC sitcom Modern Family and a Tony Award-winning Broadway actor. “What I thought was so empowering and refreshing in Second Winds is that we had three subjects who heard the word ‘cancer’ … and used it as an opportunity to live in the moment and as if tomorrow is the first day of the rest of their life.”
In most cases, CLL progresses slowly, allowing patients to lead normal active lives for many years. During this period, which Second Winds subject Jeff dubs “watch and wait” or “watch and worry,” a person with CLL is monitored by doctors to detect any change in the disease pattern before recommending treatment. This can involve targeted biological therapy, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and bone marrow transplantation. In Second Winds, Alejandro expresses his excitement at being able to participate in a clinical trial for a potentially game-changing new CLL treatment.
“To survive anything that heavy and that deep … I feel like if you don’t lead with positivity, you’re starting off on such the wrong foot,” continued Ferguson, who has had repeat skin cancer diagnoses and whose husband is a blood cancer survivor. “That need to stay positive and to have that deep desire to fight cancer is so important.”
Even for viewers who have not been touched by cancer or are still too young to worry about CLL (which is seldom seen in individuals under age 40) Second Winds offers a motivating call to action apt to any trying times in our lives.
