ONCE UPON A GENE - Episode 078 - Media with a Mission with Believe Limited CEO Patrick James Lynch
Patrick James Lynch has to inject himself with medication every other day because his liver doesn't produce a protein that helps his blood vessels seal when they burst. He and his brother were both born with hemophilia and he's since lost his brother to the disorder. After his loss, he felt compelled to reach others to provide support and awareness about the importance of life-sustaining medicine. Patrick is the founder and CEO of Believe Limited, he hosts camps, produces web series, creates workbooks and workshops, hosts the BloodStream podcast and has produced a film called Bombardier Blood.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS
What led you into this field of podcasting and content creation?
My brother and I were both born with severe hemophilia and my brother unexpectedly passed away when he was a freshman in college. He had no medicine in his system when he had a sudden head bleed and he died in his sleep. It changed my life and was a really difficult time. My brother never fully identified with what it meant to have hemophilia and didn't take full advantage of the medicine available to manage hemophilia. I decided to apply my skill to reach people like my brother who were living with a condition that, at its core, was life-threatening, but with the right self-care and commitment to health, could be managed and allow for living a full, healthy, happy life. I can't do anything for my brother now, but I can help many other people like him. I'm enriched by all my brother's life has inspired and the ripple effect his life has had.
How are you using the entertainment business as an advocacy tool to grab the attention of the younger generation?
The mission of Believe Limited is to create entertainment that affects change. Everything we do is about leading with entertainment because it's my philosophy that through entertainment, you can meaningfully engage, educate and empower patients and families. With every project, we look at the need that we're attempting to address and how we are uniquely positioned to address it. Being able to give young people ways to connect that are less clinical, medical, scary and a little more fun, about community, about self-empowerment, judgement free and not just about hammering on the most important principles-- it's allowed a lot of young people to lean in.
Can you explain what the soul of your work means in your podcast and films?
My wife and I talked on a podcast about our birth story and we received so many responses to the episode which serves as a reminder that people are seeking connection, seeking things that are true even if it's not their truth. They want to hear and see and feel some aspect of human experience when they engage with content. Data, statistics and science is important, especially in the rare disease world, but it is not the only thing that matters. Connecting to people because of their authentic selves can be the difference between life and death. As a writer, actor, producer, director, if I'm not putting my soul into something, there's likely very little response. It's vital to speak and create from a place of authenticity, but as advocates it's just as important.
What is your focus right now?
We just released a film called, My Beautiful Stutter about kids that stutter on Discovery+. We're also starting production of Stop The Bleeding! April 17th is World Hemophilia Day, so support the day by watching Bombardier Blood. Look up #whd2021 or #hemophilia across social media platforms and you'll see a lot to share to help build awareness and amplify hemophilia.
LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED
The Birth Story: Welcome Vivian Bea!
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