News Headline and Synopsis
Original Story: Churches host concert to fund recovery for Lexington teen with rare genetic disorder by Allie Root, Fox 56 News.
Julian Gonzales, a 17-year-old Bryan Station High School senior with adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD), is receiving treatment for a rare genetic disorder that can damage the brain, cause seizures and potentially result in death.
Julian has been receiving treatment in Minneapolis since May after receiving a bone marrow transplant from his older sister, Isabel Gonzales. Ten years earlier, in 2017, the same genetic disorder took the life of Julian’s older brother.
Julian’s recovery has placed a financial burden on the Gonzales family, now faced with the costs of medical treatment and daily expenses while in Minneapolis.
Members of his church community back in Lexington are organizing a benefit concert at Consolidated Baptist Church, featuring nationally known singer Callie Day, with the goal of raising money to support family.
Story vs. News Report
This story has the opportunity to become more emotional and draw a reader in. Yes, a news report works but a story would work better.
The Gonzales family is experiencing financial and emotional hardship, especially when you consider that this is something they have been through before with Julian’s older brother.
Instead of focusing solely on the fundraiser, I believe that it could be beneficial to focus on Julian’s journey and the what the Gonzales family is experiencing.
What does Julian feel while away from home? How is his family dealing with after the loss of Julian’s brother? What does Julian hope to do when he does return home?
I could tell a reader this, yes, that is definitely something that is doable. However, there is more emotional value for the viewer in experiencing it than there is in simply telling the viewer.
Three-Act Structure
Act 1
What does Julian want for his future? That dream every kid has for their life, what is his? We would begin with that question. Julian is a high school senior, he wants to finish his senior year and attend trade school. He is, before anything else, a person; I’d start with establishing him as a person.
From there, I would introduce the contrast between the future that Julian imagines for himself with the reality he is currently facing. Instead of being at home finishing his senior year, he’s been in Minneapolis since May receiving treatment. The audience would learn that his church community in Lexington is organizing a benefit concert to help his family while he recovers.
Act 2
The second act would focus on Julian’s illness and the experiences that brought him to this point. I would share that he has ALD, the same genetic disorder that took his brother’s life in 2017. This would give the audience a better perspective on the difficulties associated with the Gonzales’ family situation.
I would focus on Julian’s bone marrow transplant and Isabel’s role as his donor. During this act, there would be interviews with Julian, Isabel and maybe his parents so that they can tell their own story, making it more personal for the audience.
I would talk about what Julian’s diagnosis with ALD, the treatment, and the transplant have meant for the Gonzales family. I’d also introduce the financial strain placed on his family while burdened with the costs of treatment, recover and daily expenses.
Act 3
Here, I’d return to the benefit concert at Consolidated Baptist Church. By this point, if I’d done my job correctly, the audience would hopefully understand that the concert is about more than raising money – it’s about the community coming together to support Julian and the Gonzales family while he is working toward recovery in Minneapolis.
I would end on the idea that Julian still has a future that he wants to pursue. The beginning of the story would introduce his hopes and dreams for that future, the middle would explain what he has to overcome, and the ending would show his community helping him move toward it.
The Five W’s
- Who – Julian Gonzales, a Bryan Station High School senior, brother, and person with hopes and dreams for the future.
- What – A benefit concert is being held to support the Gonzales family while Julian is recovering from ALD.
- When – Julian’s current treatment in Minneapolis, his brother’s passing from the same genetic disorder in 2017, the upcoming benefit concert.
- Where – Minneapolis, where Julian is receiving treatment and recovering, and Lexington, where his family, school, and church community are waiting for him and planning the benefit.
- Why – Julian’s family is facing significant financial difficulties with medical and daily expenses while he recovers, his community wants to help Julian get home and continue working toward his future.
Required Resources
Seemingly impossible, I would need access to Julian himself while he’s in Minneapolis so I could interview him… but he’s around 11 hours away.
Less impossible, I would want to interview his family which is firmly footed in Lexington.
I’d also want to interview the organizers of the fundraiser and others in the church community.
Theoretically, older footage, if available, of him when he was younger or his brother before his passing would be very helpful. I’d need natural sound from the benefit concert as well as footage of it.