NeuroNote 1

Me Before You

Owen, A., Rosenfelt, K. (Producers), & Sharrok, T. (Director). (2016). Me Before You [Motion Picture]. United Kingdom: Warner Bros. Pictures.

The movie Me Before You is focused on a relationship between a woman, Louisa (Lou) Clark, who has just lost her job and takes on the role of being the caregiver for the son of a very wealthy family with SCI, Will Traynor. I have watched this movie multiple times, but I have never watched it from a neurological view. Prior to watching it again, I researched the type of SCI Will Traynor had because it briefly mentioned it in the beginning of the movie. I found that he is a quadriplegic. This helped me realize what motor skills and cognitive skills were still intact throughout the movie.

I chose this movie because so often we focus on a client’s routine involving only themselves. We are aware of their relationships or marriages and sometimes even meet with their spouses. However, this movie emphasizes the client’s relationship with a woman, taking her on dates, traveling to different countries, and it truly displays how a spouse or significant other is affected both mentally and emotionally by their loved one’s diagnosis. Although OTs do not typically ask how their client’s spouse is doing, I believe this is extremely important.

This movie taught me that depending on how a client’s spouse or caregiver is dealing with the diagnosis, the client’s motivation can be affected during therapy. If their loved one/caregiver leaves them because of the stress that comes along with various diagnoses, the client may lose their support system or no longer have someone to help them complete tasks outside of therapy. It is important to encourage their loved ones to express their concerns in order to maintain a stable support system for the client. We want to ensure that our clients’ quality of life is high and their relationships play a large role in that. Their caregiver, like Lou, can encourage the client to travel and attend events out of their comfort zone. Her perseverance to keep Will’s life active is a great example of what a caregiver should do.

In Me Before You the situation is a bit different in the aspect that Will is determined to carry out self-euthanasia although his support system is strongly advising against it and doing everything in their power to help him see his life value. However, when he expresses his plans to Louisa, she leaves. She returns on his last day, but leaves viewers wondering if he would have followed through with if had she not left.

This movie also shows that although Will has quadriplegia, it does not impair his ability to love and care. I would imagine that individuals with SCI would worry that their future in a relationship would be difficult. This movie demonstrates just the opposite.  I encourage everyone to watch it, especially those going into any healthcare field. I watched it on the HBO GO application on my Amazon Fire TV stick, but it is also available on Amazon’s website.