Awake Brain Surgery - Production & Contact Info (original) (raw)

Dominic Bakewell played guitar in the 1980s rock outfit Berlin. Now age 48, he's left the wild life of rock 'n' roll behind. As a husband and father of a 2-year-old son, he writes children's songs and still loves to play guitar. Three ...See moreDominic Bakewell played guitar in the 1980s rock outfit Berlin. Now age 48, he's left the wild life of rock 'n' roll behind. As a husband and father of a 2-year-old son, he writes children's songs and still loves to play guitar. Three months ago, however, Dominic was struck by a series of sudden seizures. MRI scans found a tumor the size of a plum on the left frontal side of his brain - right next to the area that controls his guitar-playing hand. It's so close to other vital areas like speech that leading UCLA neurosurgeon Dr. Linda Liau proposed doing the surgery while he was awake. Dr. Liau wants to make sure she cuts the entire tumor out, but she also want to preserve as much of his normal brain function as possible. If Dominic is conscious during surgery, the medical team can interrogate him to find out what each part of his brain does, before making an irreversible cut. This film is a startling exploration of one woman's lifelong fight to conquer brain tumors, both by breathtaking surgical technique and by her pioneering development and testing of brain tumor vaccines. It's also a cutting-edge journey into mapping music and creativity in the human brain. Above all, it's about one man's struggle to stay alive to raise his son. Written by Anonymous See less