screenwriting
feature film: assistance in dying
Assistance in Dying is a grounded sci-fi dark comedy feature screenplay. It was selected as a top 10 finalist in the 2023 Vancouver International Women in Film Festival Screenplay Competition.
shorts: zoe and hannah forever
Zoe and Hannah Forever is a dramatic short film about Zoe who falls in love with her best friend Hannah and recalls conflicting memories of their time together.
tv: dead inside
Dead Inside is a 30-minute dark comedy TV pilot that was chosen as a part of the Women in TV and Film Emerging TV Producer Program in 2022.
academia
Pathologizing the Unknown: A Sociological Explanation for the (Mis-)use of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome as a Diagnosis
OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is a diagnosis given to infants who die suddenly and unexpectedly before the age of one. After decades of research into SIDS, little has been conclusively determined regarding the etiology of this phenomenon. While SIDS deaths are in reality undetermined deaths, there is resistance to abandon SIDS and synonymous terminology. This paper identifies the social functions that a diagnosis of SIDS provides both to the families of the deceased, as well as the physicians who treat them. It is suggested that these social functions help to explain why, despite being inaccurate and misleading, SIDS is still widely used today. It is argued, however, that the forensic pathology and medical community as a whole should lead a systematic shift away from the use of SIDS as a diagnosis. Adopting more medically-appropriate terminology would better serve the goals of the medical profession and the families they serve.