'Life According to Sam' Makes Peabody Premiere at City Hall

The red carpet will be rolled out at Peabody City Hall Saturday for young Sam Berns...or rather the 94-minute HBO documentary in which he shares his life story.

Sam has a rare genetic condition called Progeria. Simply put, it's a fatal, premature aging syndrome that affects one in every 4-8 million newborns.

The Peabody Rotary Club is hosting a free screening of the documentary, "Life According to Sam," Nov. 2 in Wiggin Auditorium, which will be followed by a Q&A session with both Sam and his parents join the discussion via Skype. Proceeds from the night will benefit ongoing Progeria research.

Most children with Progeria don't live past 13, dying from premature heart disease, heart attacks or strokes. Sam, however, turned 17 this year.

Thanks to Sam and his parents Drs. Leslie Gordon and Scott Berns, who refused to despair when they were given the heartbreaking prognosis when their son was two, huge strides have been made in Progeria research in the past 14 years.

They founded the world's leading institution on Progeria right here in Peabody, identified the gene causing the condition, created the first drug trials for treatment and discovered that Progeria is linked to the entire human aging process. The Progeria Research Foundation is now led by Sam's aunt Audrey Gordon.

Their story made it to the big screen in "Life According to Sam," which premiered in January at the Sundance Film Festival. The 94-minute film is directed by Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine of Fine Films.

The documentary made the film festival circuit, picking up awards along the way, and also screened at an HBO premiere in New York Oct. 8. The film made such an impression on New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft he upped his original donation of $100,000 to five times that and challenged other donors to match it to bring in $1 million for PRF to fund clinical drug trials.

That campaign lasted from Oct. 8-23 and brought in $678,262 on top of Kraft's donation for a total of about $1.18 million, reports PRF.

"I have fallen in love with Sam and I am sure that sentiment is shared by anyone who has ever spent time with him," said Kraft. "'Life According to Sam' is an amazing and powerful film that will introduce Sam, his family and his story to a national audience."

"Sam is a star and what his parents have achieved in their search to find a cure is incredibly inspirational. Together, they are championing a cause that has already positively impacted the lives of children around the world. This is a must-see film. It will make you laugh. It will make you cry. And, most importantly, I think it will motivate people to want to do more to help," he said.

Saturday's Peabody screening will get underway with a cocktail reception, hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar from 6:30-7:30 p.m. and the film at 7:30 p.m. A Q&A session will immediately follow the film. Seating is limited and by reservation only.

If you missed "Life According to Sam" when it finally premiered on HBO on Oct. 21, you can now watch it anytime On Demand on HBO.

You can also find the official website for the documentary here.