Ordinary Angels (2024) Movie Script
1
Hey, butterfly.
Wanna go
see your daddy?
Okay, here's the thing.
All you need to know...
"Go Wildcats."
Your mama's a Duke fan.
Big rift there.
But this is our year.
You're gonna be
on my side. Got it?
Okay.
All right, we had the talk.
You can have her.
-All right.
-Uh-huh.
Nice try.
Now focus. Doc says we need
a name to sign her out.
And don't say Ed.
We're not naming
our daughter Ed.
-I said Ed Jr.
-I'm serious.
She needs a name.
Well, her sister wants
to call her Yoda.
Maybe you should decide.
Michelle.
-Means "Gift from God."
-Okay.
Michelle it is.
Michelle Edward
Yoda Schmitt Jr.
That's enough.
Beautiful.
Mr. Schmitt?
Mr. Schmitt?
Her blood pressure
is starting to fall.
It'll be soon.
I'm so sorry.
I...
I don't know how to do this.
You go rest now, baby.
Okay?
I'll take care of the girls.
All right, you know the drill.
One, two, three, go.
Hey, you forgot the salt.
Better do another round.
Okay.
One for me, one for my friend,
and one for
everyone at the bar.
I am good, honey.
Come on. Let's have some fun.
Y'all want some shots?
Come on.
Get it, girl!
Cheers.
Now, you said one drink.
Well, I'm just tryin' to make
one of these guys look my age.
Well, ain't enough booze
in this place for that, honey.
I'm good.
I love this song.
Girl.
Stop that.
No.
Come on, sugar.
You got this, girl!
Come on, get down.
Girl, get down from there.
I'm all right!
Let's keep goin'!
Well, good morning.
You scared me.
Please tell me
you're the only one here.
It's just me.
Thank God.
-What a night, huh?
-Mmm.
Did you drive me home?
I did. Took a little bit
of work.
You were belligerent.
All right. Come on.
I think it was the bar
that was belligerent.
-Did you see
what it did to me?
-Come on. Get your shoes.
-Waffle House?
-No.
-You're a genius.
-No Waffle House, Sharon.
This can't keep happening.
Really,
I'm officially worried.
-You're officially worried?
-Yeah.
Well, hey, y'all,
it's official.
She's worried.
Come on. Get your shoes.
-No.
-Get your shoes.
Come on, Rose, seriously.
What is this?
This is me bein'
a good friend.
This is me not allowin' you
to become your mother.
Now, put on the shoes.
Sharon.
I got so tired
of that feeling.
Empty.
No meaning, no nothin'.
I had to find something
beyond myself.
Some purpose.
That's when things
changed for me.
Started, anyway.
So, that's my advice.
Find a reason to be here
that's bigger than you are.
Thanks, man.
Anyone else who would
like to share?
Anyone here
for the first time?
Really?
Oh.
Oh, sure.
My name is Sharon.
Hey, Sharon.
And I'm not an alcoholic.
I'm just
a pissed-off hairdresser
with a splittin' headache
and a super annoyin' friend.
Ma'am?
Ma'am?
Dad, we have a situation.
I wanna look pretty for Mommy.
Well...
I don't see the problem here.
She looks beautiful to me.
Maybe just a little
off the cheeks.
Liver transplant.
Poor little thing.
What are you doin'?
This is stupid.
"My God...
"why hast thou forsaken me?"
Sometimes there just
isn't an answer.
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
For the pain,
for the loss.
As humans,
we are always seeking answers.
We wanna know the reason why.
Why did we lose
our sister Theresa?
Beloved mother, wife, friend.
Theresa was a light
and an inspiration
to everyone.
And that's what makes all this
so much more painful.
And the lack of answers
so much more frustrating.
Ed.
I am so sorry.
I wish I had the perfect words
to say to you in this moment.
But I can tell you this.
God is here with us
right now...
in this very room.
And we are here with you.
And we love you.
So, lean on God. Lean on us.
That is my challenge
to all of you.
Find a way
to help this family.
Let's go get some food.
-Okay. Careful.
-Come.
-Oh, my gosh.
-It's quite all right.
-Sorry. Thank you.
-It's okay.
Your skirt sparkles.
Well, hi there.
You must be Michelle.
I wish my dress sparkled.
Look how it spins.
Oh, well,
that's really pretty.
I'm five years old
but almost six.
Oh, yeah? And what about you?
I bet you're...
Wait, I bet you're 12.
I'm only eight.
Only eight?
Look at your belt.
It matches her dress.
Hello. I don't believe
we've met.
I don't think
we know each other.
Are you one of
Theresa's friends?
No. I just wandered in
off the street.
Uh...
Sorry.
I got up a little fast.
I'm dizzy.
I, um...
Um, I'm Sharon.
I just...
I read about your family
in the paper,
and I just wanted
to come by and say
I'm real sorry.
-Really.
-Thank you, ma'am.
And if there's ever
anything I can do to help...
Very kind of you,
but we're holding on.
All right, then.
I'll let y'all get back to it
and...
Sorry, I know
it's kinda weird to have...
Well, anyway,
I'll be thinkin' of y'all.
Okay, bye, girls.
-Bye.
-Bye.
Stupid.
So, wait a minute.
You just wandered into
a lady-you-never-met-before's
funeral?
Why, exactly?
'Cause she's Aunt Sharon.
Now, I don't know why.
Just somethin' about
that little girl, sick,
without a mama,
it just breaks my heart.
She's just five,
and she already needs
a liver transplant.
Then I heard people saying
the family's bled dry
from all the hospital bills.
Rose.
I think I'm supposed
to give them the money.
For the transplant.
You got that kind of money,
I want a raise.
You're lucky I'm paying you
anything at all.
I don't mean give them
the money, from me, you know.
Find it. Get it somehow.
Thousands of dollars
for a stranger's surgery.
Just "get it."
Don't be negative.
You know what it was like
for me growin' up.
I guess I just feel...
connected to her.
You really think this is what
you need to be focusing on
right now?
Actually, I do.
'Cause I just heard recently,
from this anonymous person
that we all need to find
meaning and purpose
outside ourselves.
That there's some good advice,
don't ya think?
Mmm-hmm.
She eat today?
Little bit.
She gotta eat, Ma.
Daddy?
Hey, butterfly.
You're supposed to be asleep.
Mmm.
Where's Mommy?
Grammy said she was in heaven.
Is that true?
But where is she really?
She's in here now.
But where is she really?
Dad, I'm five.
You can be real with me.
It's confusing, I know.
Come on, one bite.
That's a good big bite.
Come on. Let's tuck you in.
You don't have to stay, Ma.
I know.
Can't do it all
by yourself, Ed.
Turning to the weather,
another Kentucky fall
here in Louisville.
If you're like me,
you're eyeing these skies
with concern,
and for good reason.
With dark clouds
on the horizon,
high humidity
and thunderstorms
on the way...
...all the conditions
are right,
so be prepared, folks.
This is what we call
tornado weather.
Authorities are recommending
you get indoors.
Head to a basement
if you've got one
-and stay away from windows.
-What'd I ever do to you?
Be safe out there,
Kentuckiana.
"The tide
is going out soon.
"If they get stuck
on the beach, they'll die.
"The old man frowned..."
Daddy.
Oh, it's okay, sweetie.
Everything's gonna be fine.
I got you. Look at
these big, strong hands.
-Don't, Daddy. Don't, Daddy.
-Think anything's gonna happen
with these big strong hands?
You're safe.
You're not stronger
than the storm, Daddy.
Wanna bet?
You wanna bet?
Go on. Keep reading.
"The old man frowned
and said, 'Don't you see?
"'The beach stretches
for miles
"'and there are more starfish
than you can count.
"'Even if you worked all day
and all night,
"'it still wouldn't
make a difference.'
"As the man spoke,
the girl picked up
another starfish
"and tossed it
back into the ocean.
"Then, grinning, she said,
"'Made a difference
for that one.'"
-Whoo! Yeah. Nicely done.
-Well done.
Good reading.
Good job, baby.
-We're gonna have to go.
-What? What is it?
Her eyes are yellow.
-Oh, no. What? No.
-What, Daddy?
-You can't drive in this.
-No, I'm gonna have to.
Come on, baby girl.
-You wanna go on an adventure?
-Mmm-hmm.
What's wrong, Daddy?
Well, nothing.
Everything's gonna be fine.
You stay with Grammy.
I love you.
No, but the highway's
gonna be closed.
-I'll take 150 around.
-You're not gonna
get through...
-I'll take a side street.
-Daddy!
I know every road
in this town.
Come on. You okay?
Your legs okay, sweetie?
Joyce?
We're gonna need another
blood transfusion. Right now.
Don't look. We don't look.
Remember what we do?
Look at me. Staring contest.
You don't blink.
Don't look. Don't look.
All right.
It's time to go night-night.
Do the belly song.
Oh, that's Mommy's song.
I'm not very good at that.
Do it.
Um...
All right.
Good job, Daddy.
Very sweet of you.
Go to sleep.
Good night.
She is accelerating
faster than we expected.
The good news is
we're moving her
up to number six
on the transplant list.
Bottom line, Doc.
Without a liver,
I believe she has a year.
Or maybe less.
And how long does it take
to get from number six
to number one?
-I can't say
with any certainty, but...
-More than a year?
Yeah. Normally.
Two, two-and-a-half years.
Look, I don't want you
to give up hope.
Okay? Circumstances change.
But I do want you
to be prepared,
Mr. Schmitt.
We knew this was
gonna be a difficult road.
And it was certainly
not gonna be easy.
But let's take this
one day at a time.
In the meantime...
Insurance card?
No.
No health insurance?
No.
Oh, okay, uh...
Your total
will be $6,130
-and 50...
-6,000?
$6,000?
...$130.50. Yes.
Thank you.
Um...
It declined.
Do you have another form
of payment?
Um...
Uh...
Thank you.
Sorry. Uh...
Do you have
a debit card maybe?
Throughout
the affected residential area,
there's a large stretch
of homes
damaged or destroyed...
...while their neighbors
are completely untouched.
The unlucky path of the beast.
A few communities lie in ruin
as the rest of the city
goes on with life as usual.
Quick pause for
station identification
here on 99.7 DJX.
Hey, you two.
We're doing a hair-a-thon.
We're cuttin' hair
for a good cause.
Why don't you come on in?
See right down here.
Shear Elegance.
Excuse me. How are you?
I'd love to put
some highlights
in that hair.
I mean, you are so pretty.
I like the volume on the top,
but let's shave
a little bit more here.
We can get some of that hair
out of your ears.
Watch yourself now.
This storm made
a big dang mess.
We're raisin' money
for this little girl
to save her life.
And we're right
down the street here.
You come on in.
Come on by.
We're cuttin' hair
for a good cause.
Thank you so much
for comin', y'all.
Thank you.
The wait won't be long.
I promise.
And look at you.
Well, you're just perfect.
We don't need
to do anything with you.
We'll be right with you.
-Don't you look gorgeous.
-Thanks.
Thank you for helpin'
save this girl.
Thank you.
-Keep goin' with it.
-Thank you.
How the heck did you do this?
And how come you ain't never
done this for us?
Just needed proper motivation.
Mmm-hmm.
It's only 7:00.
We need more people.
It's not enough.
Oh, don't you worry.
-What's this?
-Girl, I got
42 cousins on
my mama's side alone.
I called all of 'em.
I couldn't love you more...
...if you were
smothered in gravy.
-Hey! Hello!
-Come on in.
-Rose.
-Hey.
What
a beautiful family.
-Hey.
-What's up, baby?
I'm good. I'm good.
Make me beautiful.
Make me twice as beautiful.
Twice as beautiful as me?
Come on, man.
They're not magicians.
-All right.
-What can I do for you?
$3,254.
That is a lotta haircuts.
It sure is.
I'd say let's get a drink
to celebrate, but...
I can feel you
not talkin' right now.
All right, I know that was
an intense thing to do,
just to drop you
off like that, but...
Well, it was a wake-up call.
Message received.
I'm just...
I'm gonna stop
drinkin' so much.
But it's mainly
so I don't have to
see that look on your face.
Okay.
Michelle-my-belle,
keep trying my patience,
I'm gonna turn you
over my knee. Hey!
Hey! Get over here.
Off with that bathing suit,
girl! Okay?
Mommy lets me wait
till I'm dry. It's not fair!
I want Mommy back!
Yeah, me, too.
Do what Grammy said. Go.
Welcome home.
-She's got her energy back.
-Yeah, she sure does.
You get my noodles?
The what?
The noodles. Egg noodles.
They're on the list.
Oh. I guess I forgot.
What do you mean you forgot?
I already made the stroganoff.
All I need is the noodles.
Sorry.
Well, how could you forget
when I gave you a list?
I don't know, Ma.
I write lists
so you won't forget.
If I knew you weren't
gonna do it, I...
I said, enough!
Just leave it.
I couldn't afford the noodles.
Couldn't afford
half the things on that list.
Billing said if I don't
catch up on payments,
I'm gonna have to start
taking her to some public
hospital two hours away.
Son,
don't lose your faith
over this.
Come on now.
Gotta hold strong.
My faith?
You know how many prayer lists
Theresa was on?
Seventeen.
And now they got Michelle
on all those same lists.
Lotta good faith's doin' me.
Yeah.
Daddy, the lady
from Mama's funeral's
at the door.
What lady?
The sparkly rainbow lady.
Hi. Sharon.
Remember me? From the service?
Yes, ma'am.
-How could you forget, right?
-Huh.
Um, well,
I didn't have your number,
so I just thought
I'd come by and give you this.
My friend and I own
a hair salon downtown.
We had a thing
to raise money
for your daughter.
That's $3,254.
I know it ain't much in
the overall scheme of things.
But, well, I hope it helps.
This is, uh...
It's an answer to prayer
is what that is.
Wouldn't you say, Ed?
What was your name again?
Oh, Sharon. Sharon Stevens.
I'm Barbara. Um...
Well, have you eaten yet?
-I just made dinner,
if you wanna stay.
-I'd love to.
Yeah, come on in.
It's just stroganoff,
but except maybe with rice,
if I can find any.
Unless you brought
noodles too.
-Hi, there.
-Hi.
How are
you doing, huh?
-Good.
-What'd you do today?
-We went swimmin'.
-Oh, you went swimmin'?
-Ma.
-Huh, what?
What are you doin'?
When the Lord sends
a woman to the door with
an envelope full of cash,
you invite her in for dinner.
I met this woman.
She's a mess.
Perfect. She'll fit right in.
I heard she was
a real sweetheart.
Mmm.
Grammy, can I have
some butter, please?
Mmm-hmm.
Here you are. That's for you.
Can you grab me
another roll?
Yes. Here, son.
Hope the food's all right.
Are you kiddin'?
-Hmm?
-It's excellent.
Mmm. I haven't had
a homecooked meal in forever.
Mainly eatin' for one.
You know, your house,
it's real nice.
Super cozy.
That's my wife.
Excuse me, Miss Sharon?
Why, yes,
Miss Excellent Manners.
Can I please have
your sparkle skirt?
-Michelle, you can't do that.
-Michelle, honey, no.
It's not okay to ask people
for their things.
I'll tell you what, sugar.
I'll do you one better.
I'll make you
your very own sparkle skirt
in your very own size
and it'll spin real big too.
How about that?
You really don't have
to do all that.
It'll be my pleasure. Really.
This is so good.
Hi. Can I talk to your
billing department, please?
Hello. Hi. Yeah.
Um, I'm tryin' to settle up
some outstanding bills.
The name is Schmitt.
Edward Schmitt.
I'm his accountant.
Yeah. No. Yeah, I understand.
But I am family.
I'm his sister.
And his accountant. Both.
Look, do y'all want
the darn bills paid or not?
Thank you much.
Hold on. One sec.
Yep, I'm ready.
I'm sorry. Can you say
that number again?
$432,000?
-Excuse me?
-Bless your heart.
I need to see your files.
I'm sorry.
Did my mother call you?
Your bills, get 'em out.
We got ourselves
some work to do.
Uh, excuse me. Excuse me.
I don't feel comfortable
with you goin' through
my personal things.
Ed, there's something
you should know about me.
I'm good at plenty of things.
Takin' no for an answer
ain't one of 'em.
You better make some coffee.
It's gonna be a long night.
Excuse me.
Tons of cream. Tons of sugar.
I like cream. I like sugar.
"Tons of..."
Oh, man. Daddy's in
over his head.
Oh, yeah,
we're gonna get this sorted.
Yeah.
Wait. What does that mean?
Nothin'.
All three
credit cards maxed out,
runnin' up interest.
Along with a fourth card.
I assume this is your mom's?
Yeah.
The 400,000-plus
in medical bills,
also with penalties.
Michelle's medications,
670 a month.
You really need
health insurance, by the way.
Oh, I saw...
Looks like you have
a reverse mortgage.
Yeah. 2,400 a month,
four months overdue.
And your income's
only averagin'
about 3,600 a month.
So, on a good month,
you're runnin' a deficit
of 1,800
just coverin' the basics.
Yes, ma'am.
That's not good, Ed.
No, ma'am.
You don't talk much, do you?
No, ma'am.
Have you had
the house appraised?
I'm not sellin'.
Well, then...
we prioritize.
Pay what you can,
negotiate some down,
consolidate the rest,
get on a payment schedule.
Meanwhile,
we keep fundraising.
Don't you worry. I got ideas.
Look, appreciate it,
but I prefer
to do things myself.
I'm not comfortable with this.
Well, you're gonna
have to get comfortable
being uncomfortable
'cause this ain't about you.
It's about your little girl.
So, what's this stack?
Urgent.
-And this?
-Very urgent.
-So, what's this one?
-Ignore.
-Ignore?
-Mmm-hmm.
-I can't ignore these.
-Ed.
I've owned four
small businesses in 20 years.
Here's something I learned.
Some bills are like wine.
They get better with age.
-I know. Sorry I'm late.
-Mmm-hmm.
-Good morning.
-Hi.
Hey, Mindy.
You gettin' highlights?
-Yes, ma'am.
-I was up all night thinkin'.
I'm gonna put together
a press kit for Michelle,
something I can take
to businesses,
get corporate donations,
that kind of thing.
First, I gotta set up
a nonprofit, so the donations
are tax deductible.
Smart, right?
-So, you're still doin' this?
-Of course.
Three grand ain't gonna
solve their problems.
Not even close.
There it is. All right,
I gotta get to the bank.
Wait a minute.
You have an 11:00.
No, I pushed her to 2:00.
Bye, Mindy!
Mmm-hmm.
Hey, it's Derek.
You got my machine.
Do your thing at the beep.
Hi.
It's me.
Just, uh, leaving a message.
It'd be nice if you'd...
call me back one day.
Okay.
The city continues cleanup
after the devastating tornado.
In some neighborhoods,
almost every single house
has an issue.
Obviously, some are leveled.
Some are just shingle
and window issues.
Lots of work. Lots of cleanup.
This is just getting started.
It's hard to say
how long it'll take.
All right, Dan.
Thank you so much.
Speaking of weather,
it is looking like things
should be warmin' up...
"Top Roofers.
"One-nine-nine..."
-Daddy!
-Hey!
Hey, butterfly.
Hey, Daddy.
You two good
for Grammy today?
-Mmm-hmm.
-I'm gonna eat that nose.
She wasn't. But I was.
She wasn't?
-How was your day?
-Oh, good.
Oh, it's hot as molasses
in here.
I think I got an idea.
Yeah?
How to make some more money.
Help with all that.
-Well, tell me.
-Daddy.
Can we please go up
to the stars?
To the stars?
-Right now? Why?
-Mmm-hmm.
-Because I want to.
-Go on.
Take her.
You can tell me later.
-Go on.
-Please.
I just can't stand your face.
I can't stand your face.
Hey, come here.
Give me a kiss.
I hate that face. Give me...
Wanna know
what I'm never doing
when I grow up?
War.
-War?
-Uh-huh.
Because I might get punched
in the eye.
In war, do people sometimes
punch each other in the eye?
Sometimes.
Then no, thank you.
Instead I'm gonna do dance
when I grow up.
-Or make pickles.
-Pickles?
-Or be a scientist.
-Oh.
I don't know.
Should I know?
I think you got time.
We're almost there.
All right, we're on our way.
A million bajillion miles
an hour.
Are we there yet?
Almost.
I see them.
There they are, Daddy.
The stars. We made it.
Good job.
Is Mommy up there?
Looking at us?
What do you think?
I think she is.
Well, then wave.
Hi, Mommy.
Hi, Mommy.
Well, hi, sweet pea.
Is your Daddy home?
Yeah.
Daddy! Come in.
Why, thank you.
-Good morning.
-Hi, Sharon!
Hi, peanut.
I was just on my way to work
and I thought I'd bring by
these blueberry muffins
to thank y'all
for the other night.
-Thank you.
-The only thing
I know how to bake.
But more importantly,
I wanted to bring you these.
Is that really for me?
Wait till you see how it spins.
Thank you, Sharon.
You're welcome.
And for you, mademoiselle,
why don't you open that up,
see if there's anything
in there?
It's a lip gloss.
Is that all right, Dad?
-Yeah, it is. Mmm-hmm.
-Daddy, look how it spins.
Beautiful.
Come on.
Let's eat 'em up.
Very kind of you, ma'am.
Oh, you gotta stop
with the "ma'am."
And what's with the suit,
Mr. Fancy Pants?
Oh, um...
Meeting. I...
An idea I had.
Well...
After the storm,
roofin' companies
are gonna have
more work than
they can handle.
I know roofing.
Figured I'd pitch myself.
Handle the jobs they can't.
Hmm. Well,
is that your proposal?
That's a good idea, Ed.
A very good idea
and a very bad presentation.
How do you mean?
You can't go in there
with this sad little
piece of paper.
And you sure as heck can't
go in there with that tie.
Girls, you got a camera?
Smile.
Smile.
Ed, no one's
gonna hire a guy
who can't manage a smile.
Girls, help your daddy out.
No, wait.
-Seriously.
-That's better.
Come on.
I gotta take this picture.
You got a crew?
I can get one together.
Real quick.
You're insured?
Well, uh, no.
But I figured I'd work
under your company policy.
Our policy?
Well, yes, sir.
Uh, that way, work's done...
...under your company name.
Uh, protected.
You look good.
Clients are happy.
-That kinda thing.
-Look, we've seen the news.
Two hundred roofs
wrecked in one night.
It's gonna take an army
to get them fixed.
Now, you can let
your competitors
get the work,
go with someone
who'll charge you
40% over margin
'cause they got
a fancy billboard.
Or you can go with this guy,
who's been fixin' roofs
for 20 years.
No nonsense, no markups,
no fancy billboards.
I mean, look at him.
There's nothin' fancy
about him.
Heck, he doesn't even know
how to have fun.
He's the most boring,
reliable person on
God's green earth
and that's exactly
who you're gonna need
to get through
all them busted roofs.
I'm turnkey.
I'll do the work,
handle billing, wrap out,
all of it.
Well, truth is,
we are backed up.
We got over 100 roofs
on the waitlist,
need to be done before winter.
How many of those
you think you can handle?
bHow about we take half of 'em?
-Half of 'em?
-Mmm-hmm.
Huh.
Let me think about it.
Thank you for comin' by.
Fifty roofs by December?
That's four times
what I can handle.
Four times the money too.
Life's about sayin' yes, Ed,
and then figurin' out how.
Take a look at this.
Here's all the information
wrote out...
Excuse me, sir. Please.
Please, help save
a girl's life.
Will you take a look at that?
You can do
a lot of fundraising,
like $200,000.
A lot.
Looking, looking.
He's got time. He looks good.
-Touchdown!
-That's it!
-Wildcats!
-Wildcats!
Here you go. Hope that helps.
Good news is, we made
over $11,000 this month.
Great work. Keep it up.
But the bad news is,
with the hospital visits
and the new medication,
you owe 13,000.
Mr. Congressman!
Excuse me. Uh,
thank you for stopping.
Give anything you can.
It's all tax deductible.
I do need to get my car
back in here too.
It's still makin'
that weird sound.
Oh, it looks so good.
-Ain't that pretty? Oh, yeah.
-Mmm-hmm.
How do you know how much?
Well, whatever amount
feels right.
You know, we do this for us,
not for anyone else.
-Okay? You got that?
-Don't worry.
I know all about self-worth.
You do now, do you?
All right, my turn.
Okay, your turn.
Okay.
What happened?
Well, I was runnin' around
with the girls, and I twisted
my ankle pretty good.
-Just so dumb.
-You should've called me.
No, no, no.
I don't wanna bother you
at work.
Sharon drove me to the doctor.
He said I gotta stay off it
a couple of months.
-Ma, you should've called me.
-It's fine.
That's why I always leave
the number on the fridge.
-I know.
-And I don't wanna be
relyin' on her for everything.
-Come on.
-Yeah, so she's gonna
help out, uh, with the girls
a few nights a week.
I need the help. I mean,
we need the help.
Why don't you just
have her move in, Ma?
Ain't a bad idea.
Oh, that's pretty.
Let me see.
A little bit more.
-The other side?
-Want more blush?
-What's this?
-Self-worth!
Daddy,
look at me!
Well, don't you look like
perfect little peaches.
How about you go
wash your faces off
before Grammy has
a heart attack?
-Daddy.
-Go on.
Don't "Daddy" me. Get.
Bye, peanut.
Just havin'
a little girly fun.
Those are Theresa's.
Oh.
I'm sorry. I just figured,
she wasn't usin' 'em, so...
I got this.
Sorry. I guess I'll go.
That's probably best.
You're a real frustrating man,
you know that?
Sure, I ain't great
with boundaries,
so that's on me.
But I'm just trying
to help here.
Do somethin' nice
for the girls,
take their mind off
all the gloom and doom
around here.
I don't remember asking
for parenting advice.
You know, despite what
you may think, Ed,
you're not alone here.
All right, bye, girls.
-Bye.
-Bye.
Can I keep the jacket?
Doors don't open till 9:00.
I'm lookin' for Derek.
Derek!
Yeah.
Hold on a second.
Hi.
Hi, son.
What are you doin' here?
I was wondering if you
were gettin' my messages.
I went by your house and...
Yeah, yeah, I moved.
I didn't know. When was that?
What do you need, Ma?
Nothin'.
I just wanted to see you.
Well, here I am.
You saw me.
Your hair,
I like it like that.
Derek, wait.
Just started our work.
There's this family
I'm helpin'.
They have this little girl.
She's sick.
Um, I'm helpin' 'em
raise money for a surgery.
That's great.
Um...
Well, she's five.
And I guess
being around her...
makes me think of you
when you were little.
We used to take the bus
to the library.
Your little sock puppets.
Remember when
you used to say "Yew Nork"
instead of "New York"?
Is that why you're here,
Ma, to reminisce?
Because I got
a lot of memories too.
Do we have to do this
every time?
Well, you're the one
who showed up.
All right.
Look, I know...
I let you down.
I wasn't always there
when I should've been.
Bein' a single mom ain't easy.
And I know you're still angry,
and I'm sorry. I just...
I'm angry? I'm angry?
I'm the problem?
That's the problem here?
No, I didn't say that.
I said I'm sorry.
I said it a million times.
I know. You love to say
you're sorry.
But you've never
taken responsibility,
never, never gotten help,
never even admitted
that you needed it!
I can't do this.
I'm not gonna do...
I'm not gonna do this.
Would you please leave?
Please.
Okay. I'm goin'.
I'm sorry I showed up here.
You know...
that girl,
I feel sorry for her.
Yeah. Me, too.
Not because she's sick.
Because she's countin'
on you for help.
Sorry, sorry, sorry. I'm back.
Here you go.
Daddy!
Daddy!
Daddy! Daddy!
I'm itchy and my belly hurts.
Oh. Uh...
All right, uh, get up.
-You wanna go on an adventure?
-Mmm-hmm.
Yeah, okay. Gotcha, come on.
Sorry to call.
I know it's early.
Uh...
I, uh...
I could use a favor.
Mornin', y'all.
Aunt Sharon.
-Hi, little miss. Hi.
-Hi.
How you doin', Ed?
Well, good.
Hi, peanut.
All right, let's get you home,
get you dressed,
and get you to school.
Again, sorry.
Ma can't drive with her foot.
You don't need to say sorry,
Ed. I'm happy to help.
Here, brought you a muffin.
Oh.
Wanna go
to Waffle House first?
-Really?
-Are you hungry?
Yeah.
I've to say,
I really like
having you around.
Not sure Ed agrees.
Well, he's just grumpy
like his daddy was.
-Hey.
-Upped her medication.
-Again?
-400 more a month.
Ugh!
It's just robbery.
Daddy, which color
are Mommy's eyes?
It's for school.
That's Grammy.
That's Pop Pop.
And that's you,
and that's Mommy.
But I can't remember
which color to use
for her eyes.
Mommy's eyes were brown.
Okay.
Hey, so I was, uh...
thinkin' of takin' the girls
roller-skatin'.
Why don't you come?
-Now?
-Yeah.
Nah.
Come on.
You can't work all the time.
You gotta play a little.
The girls need to have
some fun with their daddy.
I don't roller-skate.
Everyone roller-skates.
I don't.
Hey, girls!
Guess what?
Your daddy's goin'
roller-skatin' with us!
-Really?
-What? Really?
No way!
You're a natural too.
Must run in the family.
Careful, Daddy.
Careful,
don't push your papa now.
-You havin' fun?
-Yeah.
You don't
wanna push him down.
No, don't pull on me.
-You're gonna pull me down.
-I love this song.
Oh, yeah! You got the moves!
Yeah!
Oh, I got ya. I got ya.
-No frownin' anymore.
-Not too fast.
We need to turn
that frown upside down.
If I can get out of this
death spiral, maybe I can.
Smile.
Circles. Let's go.
Faster.
This was fun.
Told ya.
I appreciate
everything you've done.
Still doin' for the girls.
But if I'm bein' honest...
Yes, Ed.
Be honest. Why not?
I resent it.
I can't tell
if that's a thank you
or an apology.
You help me out.
I'm her father.
I'm supposed to be the one
taking care of her.
Hmm. I'll tell you what.
I'll keep on helpin',
and you can keep on
resentin' it, all right?
So what about you?
Oh, I don't like
to talk about me.
I find that hard to believe.
I like to talk,
just not about me.
Right. Okay.
Married? Kids?
Hmm.
Long ago.
Married young.
Then he realized he had a dream,
which didn't include me.
Or our son.
So, he started a band.
He's had some success.
I'm happy for him.
We don't talk much.
Your son?
Same.
But like I said,
I don't like to talk about me.
You and me both.
Three, four,
five, six...
...seven, eight...
Happy birthday,
dear Derek
Happy birthday to you
I can't believe you're 23.
I went...
roller-skatin' tonight
in your honor.
You know you'll always be
mama's little stink bug.
I love you.
Happy birthday, son.
Let's water
the pool.
Baby, let's make
a magic potion again.
-Yeah.
-All right.
Here, water the other plants.
You're gonna water
one of those plants.
Hi.
All right, I got an idea.
But before you go sayin' no,
you gotta hear me out.
-Promise?
-No.
Come on. It's a good idea.
You gotta promise.
All right.
Okay, I've been doin'
some lookin' around.
And I found this.
No.
-Hey. You promised.
-Just listen to her.
It's a real nice place.
Look, I found movers
who'll donate their services.
The rent is half
your current mortgage
and you got...
Wait for it...
$126,000 in cash.
That's how much equity
you got.
Ashley, keep an eye
on your sister.
I'm headed back to work.
-Ed.
-No.
You gotta work with me here.
I'm doin' everything I can,
but for every dollar I raise,
you owe five more.
I'm not sellin'.
I already told you that.
Ed.
Ed, your roofing jobs
ain't gonna cut it.
Sell this house
and we got a fighting chance.
Sharon, that's enough!
This is the last piece
of her I got left.
I'm not selling the only house
my daughters have ever known,
the house my father built,
so we can give the money
to some collection agency.
Not happenin'.
Well, look who got
a lot to say all of a sudden.
And you're asking us
to reduce
the family's medical bills
due to hardship?
No, I'm asking you
to erase them.
All of 'em.
Was that funny?
Let me show you somethin'.
Ed's daughter
made this for school.
A family tree.
A simple drawing
made by a child.
How one life leads to another.
Or in this case, how one death
-leads to another.
-Miss Stevens, please.
Theresa Schmitt
came to this hospital for help.
Now, the good doctors
did their best to save her,
but they couldn't
and she died.
Leaving behind
a heartbroken husband
and a very ill little girl.
Michelle.
Her treatment costs
thousands of dollars a month
her family can't afford.
Know why?
'Cause after you sent
her mama to the morgue,
you sent them a bill so high,
their family couldn't
pay it off in 100 years.
You realize
the message you're sendin'
this girl, right?
You're sayin', "We charged
your mama so much to die
that you gotta die too."
We can't just eliminate
hundreds of thousands
of dollars
in medical bills.
Now, I'm sorry.
I truly am.
Virginia.
What if it was your daughter?
Forgive me, but I did
a little homework, and I know
you got a beautiful
11-year-old girl.
What if it was her
I was here tryin' to save?
You'd wanna find a way, right?
For her to have a future.
To build branches of her own.
Please.
Gotta be somethin'
we can do here.
Open it.
Thought you might
wanna frame this.
It's the latest hospital bill.
$400,000 wiped clean.
Everything from Theresa's
hospital stay to all
the out-of-pocket expenses,
all of it gone.
What?
How?
I told you I wasn't good
at takin' no for an answer.
Well, look,
we still have a lot of
medications and
the credit cards to pay off.
-But this means that...
-We keep the house.
You get to keep the house.
Ed, I don't wanna
overreact here,
but I think this moment
warrants a high five.
Excuse me.
It's gonna be
a late one, boys.
-Gotta wrap this out tonight.
-Ah. All right.
Let's get goin', boys.
"The old man frowned.
"'Don't you see
the beach stretches for miles
"'and there are more starfish
than you can count?
"'Even if you worked
all day and night,
"'it still wouldn't make
a difference.'
"As the man spoke, the boy...
"the girl picked up
another starfish
"and tossed it
back into the ocean.
"Then, grinnin', she said..."
Barbara!
No, no, no! My-Belle!
Ed. Ed.
We just got a call.
Your daughter's been taken
to the hospital.
She's desatting.
Hurry.
Hurry, get her in there.
Get the mask on her now.
I'm gonna need a CHEM-7,
CBC, and a full blood panel.
Clear the hall! Thank you.
I'm sorry, folks.
No one past this point.
I think we're gonna need
a crash cart too.
Watch the door, please.
Hey.
Oh, my...
Tell me exactly what happened.
I don't know.
She's got
a tube in her nose.
She started
coughin' up blood.
It just came out.
She wasn't...
Her condition
is not good.
Now, we've moved her up
to number one
on the transplant list.
But she needs a donor liver
to show up as fast
as we can get it.
How long does she have
without it?
Four weeks.
Six, maybe.
Look, if a donor match
is available in time,
Michelle will need to fly
to the children's hospital
in Omaha immediately.
They're the closest ones
that perform this kind
of surgery.
But they're 700 miles away
and a ten-hour drive,
and the donor liver
is only viable for six hours.
I've had patients
who have missed
that window because
they couldn't get a flight.
So, I would recommend
that you arrange to have
a plane stand by.
Wait. So, wait.
You're telling me we need
a plane now?
-I would recommend that you...
-What do you mean? Like what?
Like a private plane?
-Look, I...
-Is that what you...
-I know this is a lot
to take in.
-A private plane?
How exactly do you recommend
-we get a plane, Doc?
-Hey. Wait.
No, tell me. Ma,
how do we do that?
-How do we arrange a plane?
-We'll figure it out.
We will.
Ed.
I'll get you a plane,
I promise.
-You'll get a plane?
-What?
-A private plane?
-I will.
Mmm-hmm.
Thank you.
We're just
a charter service, ma'am.
We don't own the planes.
Oh, I see. Who does?
Corporations mainly,
big companies, CEO types.
Okay. All right.
Well, thank you for your time.
Uh-huh.
Albert,
there's a Sharon Stevens
on the phone.
Who now?
Sharon Stevens.
I don't know that name.
I didn't think so.
I'm sorry.
He is not available.
Oh, that's okay.
I'm happy to wait.
I don't expect him
to be available.
He's very busy.
You have a nice day.
No. Wait.
Hi, good afternoon.
Can I please speak
to Maurice Thomas?
This is Sharon Stevens.
I was wonderin'
if I could speak
to Donald Coletti.
Felipe Alves.
Anthony Lendary.
I meant "Lundary."
Um, hi, yeah, is this
Cardinal Finance and Trust?
It's really important,
and I promise
I won't take much of his time.
Is Mr. Blaine in?
I'm tryin' to make
an appointment.
Hi, Lydia. Sharon Stevens.
Sorry to bug you again.
Just forgot to ask you
one important question.
What's your favorite kind
of muffin?
First Bank of Kentucky.
This is Doris.
May I help you?
Hi, Miss Janine.
Bow to your blueberry muffins.
So you can read a little bit
more about her.
While you do that,
I'm gonna show you
this little girl.
So the thing is, when you learn
you have to get a private plane
to save her life...
Oh, this poor child.
Al, there's a woman out here
you should meet.
Janine, I'm busy right now.
Can you have her
come back later?
Albert, get your butt
out here now.
Hi, there.
I'm Albert.
Congratulations, Albert.
I'm gonna make you a hero.
Hey.
Guess what I got.
Wait. No way.
You got a plane?
-Nope.
-Ah.
I got five planes.
-Just in case.
-What?
I can't believe it.
Oh! Ed, Ed, get in here.
-What?
-She did it. Sharon did it.
She got a plane.
Uh, she got a bunch of planes.
How?
-Can't believe it.
-Wait, you know what?
Don't even tell me.
Well, we ain't done yet.
We got more money to raise.
No, you've done enough.
Oh, you've done
more than enough.
We don't need to be
runnin' around worryin' about
-money and bills right now.
-No, you...
I mean,
surgery's gonna be a couple
hundred thousand dollars.
You know,
and without
your roofin' account,
you're gonna be right back
where you were, so...
Sharon...
you've done enough.
No more fundraisin'.
I just wanna be
with my family right now.
He's so frustratin'.
He won't listen to me.
-What?
-Ed.
He's just so stubborn.
We gotta keep workin'.
Build more awareness.
Okay, you know what?
That's it. I've held
my tongue long enough.
You're gone all the time,
you're losing clients,
you done emptied out
your savings account
for these people,
you're running yourself
into the ground.
And I know you're drinkin'.
I'm not drinkin', Rose.
-I'm working.
-Not here you're not.
'Cause I've been doin' this
all by myself.
Look, I know
that you're tryin' to do
a good thing here.
But this, all of this...
it's addict behavior.
Is it?
Well, I'd love to talk more
about that,
but I'm busy
tryin' to keep
a little girl from dyin'.
How did it become
your responsibility
to save her?
'Cause I'm here. 'Cause I can.
Because nobody did it for me.
Someone's gotta do
somethin', Rose.
Someone's gotta fight for her.
And if it's me, then it's me.
And if that's addict behavior,
then, hey,
I guess I am an addict.
Might as well put it
to good use.
Ed, wanna come in?
We're ready to do
the Advent calendar.
-Yeah, we're on our way.
-Okay.
-Come on, Michelle-my-belle.
-Careful.
-You ready?
-This chair.
-Here, this is comfy.
-Oh.
Hmm.
-Butterflies. Yeah.
-Butterflies.
Just like you.
Twenty-three days.
Twenty-three days
till Christmas.
I wonder what
we'll get tomorrow.
How many weeks is 23 days?
Like three weeks.
Will you open
my presents for me
if I'm not there?
You can open
your own presents, dummy.
I heard Daddy.
He said I might not have
three weeks left.
Here, this is for you.
Open it right now.
Just in case.
It's a starfish
I made at school.
Do you like it?
What is that for?
I love it.
Give it to me again
on Christmas. Okay?
What are you doin' up?
I wanted to see you.
Where's your grandma?
She's upstairs with Michelle.
-Daddy?
-Hmm?
Is Michelle gonna die
like Mama?
The Mighty Morphin
Power Ranger.
At KB, there are only 15 left.
And when the doors
finally open two hours later,
you might as well just
leave your Christmas cheer
with the reindeer.
I'm Amy Chan, and good night.
Yeah, can I please
get the number for ABC
news station in Louisville?
Lookin' good, Ed.
What's goin' on over
at your house?
How do you mean?
What in the world?
Can you tell me
what kind of things
you like to do during the day?
What's happenin'?
What is this?
-Ed.
-Wait, is this the father?
It's so nice to meet you.
I'm Amy Chan from WPVK.
-Can I actually ask you
a few questions?
-No, ma'am.
I don't want an interview,
don't want any cameras here.
Appreciate it
if y'all pack it up.
Can I talk to you both?
We'll be right back.
Was I somehow unclear?
I say no more fundraising,
now you got her on TV beggin'
for money
in front of the whole world?
It's not the whole world.
It's just local.
It's strangers in our home.
She's sick, Sharon.
And I told you
I don't want this.
Oh, Ed, she's just so excited
to be on TV.
Look,
I'm sorry, I know.
This is a good opportunity
to get her story out.
It's good for her, Ed.
Trust me.
Honestly, who do you
think you are?
Ed. Ed.
She's tryin' to help us.
She's doin' the best she can
and then some.
You've done
a lot for my family.
I'm not gonna say you haven't.
But let's stop pretending
you're doin' this for Michelle.
This is for you.
And get 'em outta my house.
All of 'em.
I gotta get back to work.
You really
have done an awful lot for us.
I just want you to know
that it means the world to me.
And to Ed.
Well, if you're all right
with the girls for a bit,
I think
I'm gonna head home.
-Yeah, sure.
-Yeah.
Are you all right to drive?
I'm fine. I mean,
I can't really walk,
but I can drive.
See you later.
Bye.
-Daddy.
-Hey.
What's wrong? What's wrong?
Aunt Sharon was
talkin' real funny,
and bein' really weird,
and scaring Michelle.
And now she's outside
and she won't move,
and I think she died.
Where's your sister?
Upstairs crying.
Okay.
Okay.
-Everything's fine.
-What?
Aunt Sharon's just sleepin'.
You go upstairs, take care
of your sister, okay?
-I'll wake her up.
-Okay.
Ed.
-I was just
gettin' some fresh air.
-Get your things.
-What?
-You need to go.
-No, I was just...
-Get up.
I'll call you a cab.
I can't have you
around the girls anymore.
Good choice.
Something
could've happened to her.
How could you do this here?
I'm broken, Ed.
I always have been.
I get it from my mama.
She was a mean drunk.
She never liked me.
And I never knew why.
But I swore I'd be different
with my kid.
But he hates me.
My son hates me.
I'm sure that's not true.
I have this voice in my head.
Every day, it tells me
I'm no good.
Not worth lovin',
not worth nothin'.
And drinkin' is the only thing
that makes that voice go away.
I guess I figured,
if I could save Michelle,
maybe it would save me, too.
Just usin' your daughter
to fix myself like that...
I'm sorry.
I'm Really...
I'm really so sorry.
-No.
-Hey.
Hey.
Tell those girls good night.
I need help.
I'm Sharon.
And I am an alcoholic.
Hi, Sharon.
Here we go.
This one.
Hmm.
Ashley, this is for you.
Still love it.
All right, we got
more to open.
Yeah, let's...
Hey, it's Derek.
You got my machine.
Do your thing at the beep.
Hi, it's me.
Merry Christmas.
I won't leave
any more messages after this.
No more apologies.
No more excuses.
Just want you to know
I'm goin' to meetings,
and I'm gettin' help.
-I like to swim.
-You like to swim?
Daddy, look.
Michelle's on TV.
-What else
do you like to do?
-I like to ride on my...
-That's me.
-The address
on your screen is where
donations can be sent to help
-support this family...
-It's so cool.
-...as they struggle...
-You're like a movie star.
...to cover medical bills.
And to help pay for little
Michelle's liver transplant.
I'm Amy Chan for WPVK News.
Have a great evening.
Here you go, Mommy.
Let's get these
out of the way.
You mad at God, Dad?
Is that why
we don't pray anymore?
It's okay.
Everybody gets mad sometimes.
You should still
talk to Him, though.
You first.
Hi, God. It's Ashley and Dad.
Say hi.
Don't be rude.
Hi.
We miss you.
And we're worried
about Michelle.
I'm thankful that we get
to spend Christmas together.
Couple of
announcements before we start.
Please remember to...
if you purchased a poinsettia,
please take it with you
at the close of the service.
We're gonna start with
one of my favorites,
Angels We Have Heard on High,
which you can find
on the insert
in your program.
Good to have you back, Ed.
All right, sing with me,
won't you?
Oh, boy.
This is big.
And when I say big,
I mean, really, really,
really small.
That's small.
Daddy.
Look, it's snowing.
Well, would you look at that?
Got the last gallon
of milk.
-Hey. Hey.
-Good thing I walked.
Roads are all iced up.
It really looks like
it's comin' down now.
Yeah, it's only
gonna get worse.
Officials are saying
be prepared
for what they're calling
the worst blizzard
in state history.
-Forty-two thousand homes...
-Hm.
...without power.
Half of the interstates
are closed,
and all inbound,
-outbound flights grounded.
-I hope we got enough food.
Highway patrol says
stay off the roads,
hunker down where you are.
This storm isn't letting up
anytime soon.
I'll get it.
I got it.
Hello?
Ah, yes,
just a moment, please.
Ed, for you.
Here. There you go.
This is Ed.
What?
Today?
Yeah, I got it.
Six hours?
That's for pre-op?
Yeah, okay. We gotta be
on the plane when?
Tomorrow.
Okay.
Okay. We'll be there.
Six hours to Omaha.
Ed, Ed.
Honey, listen, listen.
It's not gonna be possible.
-We'll make it possible.
-No, look. Look outside.
Look, we're snowed in.
I mean, the roads
haven't been plowed.
The airport's closed.
Honey, listen.
It's too dangerous.
You gotta call the doctor back.
-No.
-Honey,
maybe this isn't
our liver, okay?
Maybe this one needs to go
to somebody else's child.
No. It is, Ma.
It has to be.
-But...
-This is our last chance.
If we don't take it,
Michelle dies.
If you take her
out there in this,
-she dies.
-Ma, I'll make it.
I have to make it.
Hello?
Sharon, it's Ed.
Ed, hi, hi.
Listen, I've heard
you're doin' good.
I'm real glad about that,
but right now,
I gotta cut to the chase
'cause there's not much time.
Okay.
We got a liver, Sharon.
We got it.
-Today?
-Yes.
Michelle's gotta be
in Omaha in six hours.
-Six hours?
-Actually less.
Look, if I can't find a way
to make this work by sundown,
we gotta give the liver to
the next family who needs it.
That's barely two hours
from now.
Yep. Today's the day, Sharon.
We gotta get it done.
Just have her bags packed.
I'll call you back.
Okay.
-Okay.
-Boom.
-There we go.
-What? Come on.
Go get your narrow
behind out this kitchen.
Shoot.
Hello.
I need you to call
highway patrol.
Find out which roads are open,
and then plot a route
from 12th and Henley
to the airport.
-Wait, what?
-It's liver time. This is it.
Oh, good Lord. Today?
Yes. And I need you to do this
as fast as you can.
It's a two-hour flight,
then 45-minute drive
to the hospital,
30 minutes to prep her.
That gives us
a little over two hours
to get her to the airport
36 miles away.
We miss that deadline,
we lose the liver.
We lose Michelle.
-Okay. 12th and...
-Henley. Off the Pike.
I still gotta find a plane
that'll fly in this storm.
Do it. I got this.
Al, I need to get
that plane up today.
Ha! Real funny.
But I'm dead serious.
The liver just came in.
Uh, okay, then.
I'll call the pilot.
I don't think they're gonna
takeoff in this weather.
I'd imagine the airport's
snowed in like the rest of us.
Just ask him
if there's any way.
-Please.
-Uh, I'll get back to you.
Airport's closed, ma'am.
-All runways.
-No.
You hear me?
"No" is not an option.
We are goin' to
save this girl.
You're gonna clear a runway.
Please.
I meant to say "please."
Let me see what I can do.
Come on.
Yeah.
Okay,
so he's going to take
Rounders Pike
to Preston Highway...
-to I-65.
-Sixty-five just closed.
Interstate 65 is now closed.
Oh, crap. Okay, scratch that.
He gonna have to go around.
He's gonna
have to go through...
Canyon Creek.
Canyon Creek?
That's a one-lane highway.
That's the only road
that's not closed.
Hold on.
I'm gettin' another call.
-Hello?
-Yeah, you're the lady
called about the flight
for the little girl?
Yes, that's me.
We're gonna make an exception
and open up the runway.
We'll have someone
-waitin' for you at the gate.
-Thank you.
Thank you. God bless you.
And tell that other guy
I'm real sorry I yelled.
Sharon says take Canyon Creek
all the way around.
It'll spit you out
just south of the tarmac.
-Canyon Creek?
-Yeah.
That'll add time.
We only got a...
hour 42.
No, honey,
it's the only route.
-Take care of your grandma.
-Okay.
-Wait!
-I love you.
Bye, Michelle-my-belle.
Honey, what?
-Meli, bring it
back to me, okay?
-Okay.
Be careful out there!
Okay, here we go.
This is Sharon.
Sharon, he'll take
that plane up.
-He'll do it?
-Yes.
He said he's flown
in worse storms than this.
He's on his way right now.
Oh, my God. Thank you, Al.
Thank you more
than you'll ever know.
I'm cold, Daddy.
I know, baby. I know.
We'll warm up.
More bad news
from the highways.
More closures on
265 Watterson Expressway,
and a big rig jackknifed
on Canyon Creek,
closing traffic
-in both directions.
-Come on.
You gotta be kiddin' me.
Gotta get him
to turn around
and go a different route.
There is no other route.
They're all blocked.
And we don't have a way
to get ahold of him anyway.
Well, he's gonna find out
soon enough.
And I think
it goes without saying that
this just isn't the kind
of weather we're used
to here in Louisville.
Yeah, that's right...
Where are we, Daddy?
Be right back.
Wait here a second.
Oh, come on.
The sun's goin' down.
We're runnin' out of time.
Come on, Rose. There's gotta
be a way to get him through.
Okay, hold on.
If we can't get through,
how about we get over?
Over?
What do you mean...
Oh, like a helicopter.
-You're a genius.
-Thanks.
Wait a minute.
How the heck
do we get a helicopter?
We're gonna
keep an eye on this for you
and we'll be right back
with more.
Gotta call you back.
I know there's...
a service road
on Canyon Creek somewhere.
Meets up with surface streets.
-That'll work.
-What'll work?
Daddy's got a new plan.
You wanna go on an adventure?
Yeah.
All right. Sit tight.
Sharon Stevens on line four.
Oh, put her through.
-Thank you. Thank you.
-You got it.
Sharon, hey. How are you?
You need a what?
Hold on for me, baby.
Here we go.
Highway exits
virtually at standstill...
-Hello.
-Don't panic.
-Turn to Channel Seven.
-Oh.
Ashley, click on
Channel Seven. Hurry up.
...the airport are closed,
and her only hope now
is a helicopter.
Please, if you're
a helicopter pilot,
or know one...
He's gotta be somewhere
on Canyon Creek.
Find him and tell him
we're trying to get
a helicopter.
-Got it.
-I think he's in, uh,
a truck, a blue truck.
Almost there.
Almost.
I'm sleepy, Daddy.
I'll need you to stay awake
for me, all right?
Hey, we're gonna
make it, kiddo.
-We're gonna make it.
-Mmm-hmm.
What is this?
Okay. Okay.
Okay.
Hold on. Hold on.
Come on!
Don't do this to me! Come on!
Come on!
Please!
Please. Please.
Please, not like this.
Come here, butterfly.
How come you're crying, Daddy?
I love you so much, baby girl.
Daddy loves you so, so much.
Are we going on the plane?
We're goin' home.
But first...
Daddy has
to make a call.
Dave, come here.
They're talkin' about
little Michelle Schmitt
on the TV.
Our Michelle?
They got her a liver,
but the roads are closed,
and now they're tryin'
to get a helicopter.
Amy, I know our viewers
have always come through
in the past.
They will again this time.
WPVK viewers
always come through
in Louisville.
The numbers are on your screen.
Please give us a call.
It's very important.
Operator.
How may I direct your call?
Yes, I have an emergency.
Please connect me
to St. Andrew's
Children's Hospital.
Anyone with a shred
of a connection
to a helicopter pilot,
please give us... Oh.
We've got a caller
on line one.
Go ahead. You're on the air.
Hello. This is Todd
from A-1 Aviation.
I remember that little girl
from the news.
I got a helicopter.
And you can fly in this weather?
Ma'am,
I flew 26 missions in Saigon,
-so, yeah.
-Yes!
-I can handle a little snow.
-Yes!
You guys,
we got a helicopter!
We got a helicopter.
What we'll need now is
a flat, open place
to pick her up.
No trees, no power lines.
I'm gonna need about
100 feet by 100 feet
cleared of snow
-so I can land.
-Did everyone hear that?
I know where they can
land that helicopter.
-Quick, where's the phone?
-They need a cleared-up space
-big enough to land.
-Where's the cordless?
Just use
the one in the kitchen.
-Use the one on the wall.
-Right, right.
Okay, we've got
a caller on line two.
Go ahead.
Yeah, hi.
This is Pastor Dave Stone
of Southeast Christian Church.
You can land the helicopter
in our parking lot.
-It's on Washington.
-That's Pastor Dave.
You hear that, Louisville?
The parking lot
of Southeast Church.
Interstate 64.
But we're gonna
need help clearin' it.
So, anyone...
anyone
who's hearin' this, please,
come on down and help us.
And to my congregation,
please spread the word.
Get to the church.
Let's help save
this little girl.
And bring shovels.
We're gonna need
a lot of shovels.
Oh, okay, everybody,
get some shovels.
Get all the shovels.
We gotta get some blankets.
And coats and...
Where are my shoes?
All right, you can go
with the Bordens.
They're right there
waitin' on the corner.
-Okay.
-Here you go.
Here, put this on.
It's freezin'.
All right.
Grab a shovel off the porch.
-Go on. Be careful out there.
-Okay.
Ed?
It's Dr. Ghorbani.
Everything all right?
Doc.
They're prepping for surgery.
They need Michelle
at the hospital
in less than four hours.
I can't.
Ed?
I'm stuck.
-In the storm.
-Ed, if you need
to surrender the liver,
we have to know now, okay?
We have a second family
on standby. We can...
Look, she has the priority...
-...but tell me.
-Hey, man?
Are you gonna be able
to make it?
Hold on, Doc.
Is that your Bronco?
Yeah.
We're friends of Sharon.
Got a helicopter waitin'.
Take you to the airport.
-Ed, can you hear me?
-Gotta go. Come on.
Doc, never mind.
We're gonna make it.
-On our way.
-Go load your daughter
in the truck.
I gotta call Sharon.
Where we headed?
I'll follow you.
-Southeast Christian Church.
-That's my church.
They said you gotta
be there in 45 minutes.
Still time if we go now.
That's all the way back
the way I came.
And the interstate's closed.
Come on, let's go.
Jump in with us.
I know a way.
We're gonna
have to go off-road.
Let me drive.
There we go.
-Let's go, let's go!
-Yeah!
Try to get it off
to one side.
I'm here!
Well, look who decided
to show up.
Good to see you.
Another weather update.
We're getting reports
there's now
a second storm surge inbound,
and this one is looking
even uglier than the first,
with high winds...
...characteristics of almost
a winter hurricane,
and traveling is discouraged
through the rest of tonight
-and early tomorrow.
-Just great.
Twenty-six minutes.
Hold on tight.
...records for snowfall
and low temperature.
This ain't no light
and fluffy snow.
This ain't gonna work,
not without a lot more help.
Sharon.
Hey there.
Do you guys need a hand?
Let's go, guys!
Aunt Sharon!
All right,
come on, y'all. Split up!
We need 100 feet by 100 feet.
You guys stay here,
and the rest of y'all
go down that way.
With this storm gettin'
worse by the minute,
all of Louisville
is now holding its breath.
I can tell you,
everyone here at the station
is on the edge of their seat.
But one thing I know for sure,
that little girl now
has the entire city
rootin' for her.
We've got heavier snow
and the wind's
starting to pick up,
and it is gonna be intensifying
very quickly here.
Whiteout conditions.
We could be talking about
wind gusts of hurricane force
70 miles per hour or greater.
So, these are gonna be bands
of really heavy snow
and a strong northerly wind.
This is gonna be
a really powerful storm...
I got your message.
I got all of 'em.
Let's save this little girl.
-Yeah.
-What do you say?
-Yeah.
-Yeah?
Yeah.
We've got some fantastic news.
The helicopter is now
only five minutes away.
Five minutes.
Let's go. Let's go.
Faster!
You doin' okay, butterfly?
-Mmm-hmm.
-Okay.
All right. All right,
few more miles.
Homestretch.
There it is!
There it is.
It's here! It's here!
There it is.
Nice.
There it is.
We made it.
There's Ed!
Let's go, Ed!
-Let's go.
-We gotta keep goin'.
-He's here.
-Let's do this!
-It's all right.
-It's Michelle!
She made it!
Let's go!
-We ain't done yet.
-Oh.
So, still feel alone now?
This is...
incredible.
Hi, little one.
-Missed you so much.
-Daddy!
-Hey, come here, baby.
-Look what we did!
You did good.
-Watch out!
-Watch out!
-Watch out!
-Turn up the radio.
Getting word from the pilot.
Go ahead.
I can't
see the landing area
in the whiteout conditions.
Said he can't see.
It's a whiteout.
I'm sorry.
I just can't see.
No, we did not come
this far to fail.
Headlights!
Everybody, turn on
your headlights quick!
-Yeah, good idea.
-Put on lights.
Headlights.
Turn on the headlights.
Wait, Ashley.
Where's she goin'?
Hey, Ashley!
Ashley!
-Does this help?
-That's good. We got it.
I can see that.
Yeah? Yeah,
he says he can see.
I need more.
Give me more.
Everybody, get your coats!
Blankets, anythin'!
Take
a look at the pictures, Amy.
They're coming in now of...
Those are jackets, I believe,
being laid out.
People are literally...
...taking off their jackets,
putting them down
-for him to see.
-Okay, he's good.
He's good to land.
Okay, everybody, get back!
Back up so he can land!
Hey, butterfly.
Aw.
Michelle, look.
Butterflies.
Go on, Ed!
Godspeed, Ed.
Oh.
I want you to know somethin'.
That voice in your head
couldn't be more wrong.
You're not just worthy, Sharon.
You're a miracle.
Go. Go.
Oh, and, Sharon...
somethin' else
I've been meanin' to say.
Thank you.
And there she goes.
Little Michelle Schmitt
off to surgery.
And our prayers go with her.
-What an incredible moment.
-Thank you.
We'll take a short break
and be right back.
We love you, Michelle!
Ma.
Ma.
Hey, butterfly.
I called the
radio station and asked them
why the helicopter
couldn't land back here,
and they said it would
have to be plowed.
The next thing
you know, everybody started
comin' from everywhere.
Perfect strangers
you're never gonna see again
come out to help somebody
they've never even laid eyes
on before.
It really makes you feel good.
I can't believe it,
and I'd say thank you
from the bottom of my heart.
That doesn't seem
to be enough.
But I just want
everybody to know
how much we appreciate it.
Hey, butterfly.
Wanna go
see your daddy?
Okay, here's the thing.
All you need to know...
"Go Wildcats."
Your mama's a Duke fan.
Big rift there.
But this is our year.
You're gonna be
on my side. Got it?
Okay.
All right, we had the talk.
You can have her.
-All right.
-Uh-huh.
Nice try.
Now focus. Doc says we need
a name to sign her out.
And don't say Ed.
We're not naming
our daughter Ed.
-I said Ed Jr.
-I'm serious.
She needs a name.
Well, her sister wants
to call her Yoda.
Maybe you should decide.
Michelle.
-Means "Gift from God."
-Okay.
Michelle it is.
Michelle Edward
Yoda Schmitt Jr.
That's enough.
Beautiful.
Mr. Schmitt?
Mr. Schmitt?
Her blood pressure
is starting to fall.
It'll be soon.
I'm so sorry.
I...
I don't know how to do this.
You go rest now, baby.
Okay?
I'll take care of the girls.
All right, you know the drill.
One, two, three, go.
Hey, you forgot the salt.
Better do another round.
Okay.
One for me, one for my friend,
and one for
everyone at the bar.
I am good, honey.
Come on. Let's have some fun.
Y'all want some shots?
Come on.
Get it, girl!
Cheers.
Now, you said one drink.
Well, I'm just tryin' to make
one of these guys look my age.
Well, ain't enough booze
in this place for that, honey.
I'm good.
I love this song.
Girl.
Stop that.
No.
Come on, sugar.
You got this, girl!
Come on, get down.
Girl, get down from there.
I'm all right!
Let's keep goin'!
Well, good morning.
You scared me.
Please tell me
you're the only one here.
It's just me.
Thank God.
-What a night, huh?
-Mmm.
Did you drive me home?
I did. Took a little bit
of work.
You were belligerent.
All right. Come on.
I think it was the bar
that was belligerent.
-Did you see
what it did to me?
-Come on. Get your shoes.
-Waffle House?
-No.
-You're a genius.
-No Waffle House, Sharon.
This can't keep happening.
Really,
I'm officially worried.
-You're officially worried?
-Yeah.
Well, hey, y'all,
it's official.
She's worried.
Come on. Get your shoes.
-No.
-Get your shoes.
Come on, Rose, seriously.
What is this?
This is me bein'
a good friend.
This is me not allowin' you
to become your mother.
Now, put on the shoes.
Sharon.
I got so tired
of that feeling.
Empty.
No meaning, no nothin'.
I had to find something
beyond myself.
Some purpose.
That's when things
changed for me.
Started, anyway.
So, that's my advice.
Find a reason to be here
that's bigger than you are.
Thanks, man.
Anyone else who would
like to share?
Anyone here
for the first time?
Really?
Oh.
Oh, sure.
My name is Sharon.
Hey, Sharon.
And I'm not an alcoholic.
I'm just
a pissed-off hairdresser
with a splittin' headache
and a super annoyin' friend.
Ma'am?
Ma'am?
Dad, we have a situation.
I wanna look pretty for Mommy.
Well...
I don't see the problem here.
She looks beautiful to me.
Maybe just a little
off the cheeks.
Liver transplant.
Poor little thing.
What are you doin'?
This is stupid.
"My God...
"why hast thou forsaken me?"
Sometimes there just
isn't an answer.
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
For the pain,
for the loss.
As humans,
we are always seeking answers.
We wanna know the reason why.
Why did we lose
our sister Theresa?
Beloved mother, wife, friend.
Theresa was a light
and an inspiration
to everyone.
And that's what makes all this
so much more painful.
And the lack of answers
so much more frustrating.
Ed.
I am so sorry.
I wish I had the perfect words
to say to you in this moment.
But I can tell you this.
God is here with us
right now...
in this very room.
And we are here with you.
And we love you.
So, lean on God. Lean on us.
That is my challenge
to all of you.
Find a way
to help this family.
Let's go get some food.
-Okay. Careful.
-Come.
-Oh, my gosh.
-It's quite all right.
-Sorry. Thank you.
-It's okay.
Your skirt sparkles.
Well, hi there.
You must be Michelle.
I wish my dress sparkled.
Look how it spins.
Oh, well,
that's really pretty.
I'm five years old
but almost six.
Oh, yeah? And what about you?
I bet you're...
Wait, I bet you're 12.
I'm only eight.
Only eight?
Look at your belt.
It matches her dress.
Hello. I don't believe
we've met.
I don't think
we know each other.
Are you one of
Theresa's friends?
No. I just wandered in
off the street.
Uh...
Sorry.
I got up a little fast.
I'm dizzy.
I, um...
Um, I'm Sharon.
I just...
I read about your family
in the paper,
and I just wanted
to come by and say
I'm real sorry.
-Really.
-Thank you, ma'am.
And if there's ever
anything I can do to help...
Very kind of you,
but we're holding on.
All right, then.
I'll let y'all get back to it
and...
Sorry, I know
it's kinda weird to have...
Well, anyway,
I'll be thinkin' of y'all.
Okay, bye, girls.
-Bye.
-Bye.
Stupid.
So, wait a minute.
You just wandered into
a lady-you-never-met-before's
funeral?
Why, exactly?
'Cause she's Aunt Sharon.
Now, I don't know why.
Just somethin' about
that little girl, sick,
without a mama,
it just breaks my heart.
She's just five,
and she already needs
a liver transplant.
Then I heard people saying
the family's bled dry
from all the hospital bills.
Rose.
I think I'm supposed
to give them the money.
For the transplant.
You got that kind of money,
I want a raise.
You're lucky I'm paying you
anything at all.
I don't mean give them
the money, from me, you know.
Find it. Get it somehow.
Thousands of dollars
for a stranger's surgery.
Just "get it."
Don't be negative.
You know what it was like
for me growin' up.
I guess I just feel...
connected to her.
You really think this is what
you need to be focusing on
right now?
Actually, I do.
'Cause I just heard recently,
from this anonymous person
that we all need to find
meaning and purpose
outside ourselves.
That there's some good advice,
don't ya think?
Mmm-hmm.
She eat today?
Little bit.
She gotta eat, Ma.
Daddy?
Hey, butterfly.
You're supposed to be asleep.
Mmm.
Where's Mommy?
Grammy said she was in heaven.
Is that true?
But where is she really?
She's in here now.
But where is she really?
Dad, I'm five.
You can be real with me.
It's confusing, I know.
Come on, one bite.
That's a good big bite.
Come on. Let's tuck you in.
You don't have to stay, Ma.
I know.
Can't do it all
by yourself, Ed.
Turning to the weather,
another Kentucky fall
here in Louisville.
If you're like me,
you're eyeing these skies
with concern,
and for good reason.
With dark clouds
on the horizon,
high humidity
and thunderstorms
on the way...
...all the conditions
are right,
so be prepared, folks.
This is what we call
tornado weather.
Authorities are recommending
you get indoors.
Head to a basement
if you've got one
-and stay away from windows.
-What'd I ever do to you?
Be safe out there,
Kentuckiana.
"The tide
is going out soon.
"If they get stuck
on the beach, they'll die.
"The old man frowned..."
Daddy.
Oh, it's okay, sweetie.
Everything's gonna be fine.
I got you. Look at
these big, strong hands.
-Don't, Daddy. Don't, Daddy.
-Think anything's gonna happen
with these big strong hands?
You're safe.
You're not stronger
than the storm, Daddy.
Wanna bet?
You wanna bet?
Go on. Keep reading.
"The old man frowned
and said, 'Don't you see?
"'The beach stretches
for miles
"'and there are more starfish
than you can count.
"'Even if you worked all day
and all night,
"'it still wouldn't
make a difference.'
"As the man spoke,
the girl picked up
another starfish
"and tossed it
back into the ocean.
"Then, grinning, she said,
"'Made a difference
for that one.'"
-Whoo! Yeah. Nicely done.
-Well done.
Good reading.
Good job, baby.
-We're gonna have to go.
-What? What is it?
Her eyes are yellow.
-Oh, no. What? No.
-What, Daddy?
-You can't drive in this.
-No, I'm gonna have to.
Come on, baby girl.
-You wanna go on an adventure?
-Mmm-hmm.
What's wrong, Daddy?
Well, nothing.
Everything's gonna be fine.
You stay with Grammy.
I love you.
No, but the highway's
gonna be closed.
-I'll take 150 around.
-You're not gonna
get through...
-I'll take a side street.
-Daddy!
I know every road
in this town.
Come on. You okay?
Your legs okay, sweetie?
Joyce?
We're gonna need another
blood transfusion. Right now.
Don't look. We don't look.
Remember what we do?
Look at me. Staring contest.
You don't blink.
Don't look. Don't look.
All right.
It's time to go night-night.
Do the belly song.
Oh, that's Mommy's song.
I'm not very good at that.
Do it.
Um...
All right.
Good job, Daddy.
Very sweet of you.
Go to sleep.
Good night.
She is accelerating
faster than we expected.
The good news is
we're moving her
up to number six
on the transplant list.
Bottom line, Doc.
Without a liver,
I believe she has a year.
Or maybe less.
And how long does it take
to get from number six
to number one?
-I can't say
with any certainty, but...
-More than a year?
Yeah. Normally.
Two, two-and-a-half years.
Look, I don't want you
to give up hope.
Okay? Circumstances change.
But I do want you
to be prepared,
Mr. Schmitt.
We knew this was
gonna be a difficult road.
And it was certainly
not gonna be easy.
But let's take this
one day at a time.
In the meantime...
Insurance card?
No.
No health insurance?
No.
Oh, okay, uh...
Your total
will be $6,130
-and 50...
-6,000?
$6,000?
...$130.50. Yes.
Thank you.
Um...
It declined.
Do you have another form
of payment?
Um...
Uh...
Thank you.
Sorry. Uh...
Do you have
a debit card maybe?
Throughout
the affected residential area,
there's a large stretch
of homes
damaged or destroyed...
...while their neighbors
are completely untouched.
The unlucky path of the beast.
A few communities lie in ruin
as the rest of the city
goes on with life as usual.
Quick pause for
station identification
here on 99.7 DJX.
Hey, you two.
We're doing a hair-a-thon.
We're cuttin' hair
for a good cause.
Why don't you come on in?
See right down here.
Shear Elegance.
Excuse me. How are you?
I'd love to put
some highlights
in that hair.
I mean, you are so pretty.
I like the volume on the top,
but let's shave
a little bit more here.
We can get some of that hair
out of your ears.
Watch yourself now.
This storm made
a big dang mess.
We're raisin' money
for this little girl
to save her life.
And we're right
down the street here.
You come on in.
Come on by.
We're cuttin' hair
for a good cause.
Thank you so much
for comin', y'all.
Thank you.
The wait won't be long.
I promise.
And look at you.
Well, you're just perfect.
We don't need
to do anything with you.
We'll be right with you.
-Don't you look gorgeous.
-Thanks.
Thank you for helpin'
save this girl.
Thank you.
-Keep goin' with it.
-Thank you.
How the heck did you do this?
And how come you ain't never
done this for us?
Just needed proper motivation.
Mmm-hmm.
It's only 7:00.
We need more people.
It's not enough.
Oh, don't you worry.
-What's this?
-Girl, I got
42 cousins on
my mama's side alone.
I called all of 'em.
I couldn't love you more...
...if you were
smothered in gravy.
-Hey! Hello!
-Come on in.
-Rose.
-Hey.
What
a beautiful family.
-Hey.
-What's up, baby?
I'm good. I'm good.
Make me beautiful.
Make me twice as beautiful.
Twice as beautiful as me?
Come on, man.
They're not magicians.
-All right.
-What can I do for you?
$3,254.
That is a lotta haircuts.
It sure is.
I'd say let's get a drink
to celebrate, but...
I can feel you
not talkin' right now.
All right, I know that was
an intense thing to do,
just to drop you
off like that, but...
Well, it was a wake-up call.
Message received.
I'm just...
I'm gonna stop
drinkin' so much.
But it's mainly
so I don't have to
see that look on your face.
Okay.
Michelle-my-belle,
keep trying my patience,
I'm gonna turn you
over my knee. Hey!
Hey! Get over here.
Off with that bathing suit,
girl! Okay?
Mommy lets me wait
till I'm dry. It's not fair!
I want Mommy back!
Yeah, me, too.
Do what Grammy said. Go.
Welcome home.
-She's got her energy back.
-Yeah, she sure does.
You get my noodles?
The what?
The noodles. Egg noodles.
They're on the list.
Oh. I guess I forgot.
What do you mean you forgot?
I already made the stroganoff.
All I need is the noodles.
Sorry.
Well, how could you forget
when I gave you a list?
I don't know, Ma.
I write lists
so you won't forget.
If I knew you weren't
gonna do it, I...
I said, enough!
Just leave it.
I couldn't afford the noodles.
Couldn't afford
half the things on that list.
Billing said if I don't
catch up on payments,
I'm gonna have to start
taking her to some public
hospital two hours away.
Son,
don't lose your faith
over this.
Come on now.
Gotta hold strong.
My faith?
You know how many prayer lists
Theresa was on?
Seventeen.
And now they got Michelle
on all those same lists.
Lotta good faith's doin' me.
Yeah.
Daddy, the lady
from Mama's funeral's
at the door.
What lady?
The sparkly rainbow lady.
Hi. Sharon.
Remember me? From the service?
Yes, ma'am.
-How could you forget, right?
-Huh.
Um, well,
I didn't have your number,
so I just thought
I'd come by and give you this.
My friend and I own
a hair salon downtown.
We had a thing
to raise money
for your daughter.
That's $3,254.
I know it ain't much in
the overall scheme of things.
But, well, I hope it helps.
This is, uh...
It's an answer to prayer
is what that is.
Wouldn't you say, Ed?
What was your name again?
Oh, Sharon. Sharon Stevens.
I'm Barbara. Um...
Well, have you eaten yet?
-I just made dinner,
if you wanna stay.
-I'd love to.
Yeah, come on in.
It's just stroganoff,
but except maybe with rice,
if I can find any.
Unless you brought
noodles too.
-Hi, there.
-Hi.
How are
you doing, huh?
-Good.
-What'd you do today?
-We went swimmin'.
-Oh, you went swimmin'?
-Ma.
-Huh, what?
What are you doin'?
When the Lord sends
a woman to the door with
an envelope full of cash,
you invite her in for dinner.
I met this woman.
She's a mess.
Perfect. She'll fit right in.
I heard she was
a real sweetheart.
Mmm.
Grammy, can I have
some butter, please?
Mmm-hmm.
Here you are. That's for you.
Can you grab me
another roll?
Yes. Here, son.
Hope the food's all right.
Are you kiddin'?
-Hmm?
-It's excellent.
Mmm. I haven't had
a homecooked meal in forever.
Mainly eatin' for one.
You know, your house,
it's real nice.
Super cozy.
That's my wife.
Excuse me, Miss Sharon?
Why, yes,
Miss Excellent Manners.
Can I please have
your sparkle skirt?
-Michelle, you can't do that.
-Michelle, honey, no.
It's not okay to ask people
for their things.
I'll tell you what, sugar.
I'll do you one better.
I'll make you
your very own sparkle skirt
in your very own size
and it'll spin real big too.
How about that?
You really don't have
to do all that.
It'll be my pleasure. Really.
This is so good.
Hi. Can I talk to your
billing department, please?
Hello. Hi. Yeah.
Um, I'm tryin' to settle up
some outstanding bills.
The name is Schmitt.
Edward Schmitt.
I'm his accountant.
Yeah. No. Yeah, I understand.
But I am family.
I'm his sister.
And his accountant. Both.
Look, do y'all want
the darn bills paid or not?
Thank you much.
Hold on. One sec.
Yep, I'm ready.
I'm sorry. Can you say
that number again?
$432,000?
-Excuse me?
-Bless your heart.
I need to see your files.
I'm sorry.
Did my mother call you?
Your bills, get 'em out.
We got ourselves
some work to do.
Uh, excuse me. Excuse me.
I don't feel comfortable
with you goin' through
my personal things.
Ed, there's something
you should know about me.
I'm good at plenty of things.
Takin' no for an answer
ain't one of 'em.
You better make some coffee.
It's gonna be a long night.
Excuse me.
Tons of cream. Tons of sugar.
I like cream. I like sugar.
"Tons of..."
Oh, man. Daddy's in
over his head.
Oh, yeah,
we're gonna get this sorted.
Yeah.
Wait. What does that mean?
Nothin'.
All three
credit cards maxed out,
runnin' up interest.
Along with a fourth card.
I assume this is your mom's?
Yeah.
The 400,000-plus
in medical bills,
also with penalties.
Michelle's medications,
670 a month.
You really need
health insurance, by the way.
Oh, I saw...
Looks like you have
a reverse mortgage.
Yeah. 2,400 a month,
four months overdue.
And your income's
only averagin'
about 3,600 a month.
So, on a good month,
you're runnin' a deficit
of 1,800
just coverin' the basics.
Yes, ma'am.
That's not good, Ed.
No, ma'am.
You don't talk much, do you?
No, ma'am.
Have you had
the house appraised?
I'm not sellin'.
Well, then...
we prioritize.
Pay what you can,
negotiate some down,
consolidate the rest,
get on a payment schedule.
Meanwhile,
we keep fundraising.
Don't you worry. I got ideas.
Look, appreciate it,
but I prefer
to do things myself.
I'm not comfortable with this.
Well, you're gonna
have to get comfortable
being uncomfortable
'cause this ain't about you.
It's about your little girl.
So, what's this stack?
Urgent.
-And this?
-Very urgent.
-So, what's this one?
-Ignore.
-Ignore?
-Mmm-hmm.
-I can't ignore these.
-Ed.
I've owned four
small businesses in 20 years.
Here's something I learned.
Some bills are like wine.
They get better with age.
-I know. Sorry I'm late.
-Mmm-hmm.
-Good morning.
-Hi.
Hey, Mindy.
You gettin' highlights?
-Yes, ma'am.
-I was up all night thinkin'.
I'm gonna put together
a press kit for Michelle,
something I can take
to businesses,
get corporate donations,
that kind of thing.
First, I gotta set up
a nonprofit, so the donations
are tax deductible.
Smart, right?
-So, you're still doin' this?
-Of course.
Three grand ain't gonna
solve their problems.
Not even close.
There it is. All right,
I gotta get to the bank.
Wait a minute.
You have an 11:00.
No, I pushed her to 2:00.
Bye, Mindy!
Mmm-hmm.
Hey, it's Derek.
You got my machine.
Do your thing at the beep.
Hi.
It's me.
Just, uh, leaving a message.
It'd be nice if you'd...
call me back one day.
Okay.
The city continues cleanup
after the devastating tornado.
In some neighborhoods,
almost every single house
has an issue.
Obviously, some are leveled.
Some are just shingle
and window issues.
Lots of work. Lots of cleanup.
This is just getting started.
It's hard to say
how long it'll take.
All right, Dan.
Thank you so much.
Speaking of weather,
it is looking like things
should be warmin' up...
"Top Roofers.
"One-nine-nine..."
-Daddy!
-Hey!
Hey, butterfly.
Hey, Daddy.
You two good
for Grammy today?
-Mmm-hmm.
-I'm gonna eat that nose.
She wasn't. But I was.
She wasn't?
-How was your day?
-Oh, good.
Oh, it's hot as molasses
in here.
I think I got an idea.
Yeah?
How to make some more money.
Help with all that.
-Well, tell me.
-Daddy.
Can we please go up
to the stars?
To the stars?
-Right now? Why?
-Mmm-hmm.
-Because I want to.
-Go on.
Take her.
You can tell me later.
-Go on.
-Please.
I just can't stand your face.
I can't stand your face.
Hey, come here.
Give me a kiss.
I hate that face. Give me...
Wanna know
what I'm never doing
when I grow up?
War.
-War?
-Uh-huh.
Because I might get punched
in the eye.
In war, do people sometimes
punch each other in the eye?
Sometimes.
Then no, thank you.
Instead I'm gonna do dance
when I grow up.
-Or make pickles.
-Pickles?
-Or be a scientist.
-Oh.
I don't know.
Should I know?
I think you got time.
We're almost there.
All right, we're on our way.
A million bajillion miles
an hour.
Are we there yet?
Almost.
I see them.
There they are, Daddy.
The stars. We made it.
Good job.
Is Mommy up there?
Looking at us?
What do you think?
I think she is.
Well, then wave.
Hi, Mommy.
Hi, Mommy.
Well, hi, sweet pea.
Is your Daddy home?
Yeah.
Daddy! Come in.
Why, thank you.
-Good morning.
-Hi, Sharon!
Hi, peanut.
I was just on my way to work
and I thought I'd bring by
these blueberry muffins
to thank y'all
for the other night.
-Thank you.
-The only thing
I know how to bake.
But more importantly,
I wanted to bring you these.
Is that really for me?
Wait till you see how it spins.
Thank you, Sharon.
You're welcome.
And for you, mademoiselle,
why don't you open that up,
see if there's anything
in there?
It's a lip gloss.
Is that all right, Dad?
-Yeah, it is. Mmm-hmm.
-Daddy, look how it spins.
Beautiful.
Come on.
Let's eat 'em up.
Very kind of you, ma'am.
Oh, you gotta stop
with the "ma'am."
And what's with the suit,
Mr. Fancy Pants?
Oh, um...
Meeting. I...
An idea I had.
Well...
After the storm,
roofin' companies
are gonna have
more work than
they can handle.
I know roofing.
Figured I'd pitch myself.
Handle the jobs they can't.
Hmm. Well,
is that your proposal?
That's a good idea, Ed.
A very good idea
and a very bad presentation.
How do you mean?
You can't go in there
with this sad little
piece of paper.
And you sure as heck can't
go in there with that tie.
Girls, you got a camera?
Smile.
Smile.
Ed, no one's
gonna hire a guy
who can't manage a smile.
Girls, help your daddy out.
No, wait.
-Seriously.
-That's better.
Come on.
I gotta take this picture.
You got a crew?
I can get one together.
Real quick.
You're insured?
Well, uh, no.
But I figured I'd work
under your company policy.
Our policy?
Well, yes, sir.
Uh, that way, work's done...
...under your company name.
Uh, protected.
You look good.
Clients are happy.
-That kinda thing.
-Look, we've seen the news.
Two hundred roofs
wrecked in one night.
It's gonna take an army
to get them fixed.
Now, you can let
your competitors
get the work,
go with someone
who'll charge you
40% over margin
'cause they got
a fancy billboard.
Or you can go with this guy,
who's been fixin' roofs
for 20 years.
No nonsense, no markups,
no fancy billboards.
I mean, look at him.
There's nothin' fancy
about him.
Heck, he doesn't even know
how to have fun.
He's the most boring,
reliable person on
God's green earth
and that's exactly
who you're gonna need
to get through
all them busted roofs.
I'm turnkey.
I'll do the work,
handle billing, wrap out,
all of it.
Well, truth is,
we are backed up.
We got over 100 roofs
on the waitlist,
need to be done before winter.
How many of those
you think you can handle?
bHow about we take half of 'em?
-Half of 'em?
-Mmm-hmm.
Huh.
Let me think about it.
Thank you for comin' by.
Fifty roofs by December?
That's four times
what I can handle.
Four times the money too.
Life's about sayin' yes, Ed,
and then figurin' out how.
Take a look at this.
Here's all the information
wrote out...
Excuse me, sir. Please.
Please, help save
a girl's life.
Will you take a look at that?
You can do
a lot of fundraising,
like $200,000.
A lot.
Looking, looking.
He's got time. He looks good.
-Touchdown!
-That's it!
-Wildcats!
-Wildcats!
Here you go. Hope that helps.
Good news is, we made
over $11,000 this month.
Great work. Keep it up.
But the bad news is,
with the hospital visits
and the new medication,
you owe 13,000.
Mr. Congressman!
Excuse me. Uh,
thank you for stopping.
Give anything you can.
It's all tax deductible.
I do need to get my car
back in here too.
It's still makin'
that weird sound.
Oh, it looks so good.
-Ain't that pretty? Oh, yeah.
-Mmm-hmm.
How do you know how much?
Well, whatever amount
feels right.
You know, we do this for us,
not for anyone else.
-Okay? You got that?
-Don't worry.
I know all about self-worth.
You do now, do you?
All right, my turn.
Okay, your turn.
Okay.
What happened?
Well, I was runnin' around
with the girls, and I twisted
my ankle pretty good.
-Just so dumb.
-You should've called me.
No, no, no.
I don't wanna bother you
at work.
Sharon drove me to the doctor.
He said I gotta stay off it
a couple of months.
-Ma, you should've called me.
-It's fine.
That's why I always leave
the number on the fridge.
-I know.
-And I don't wanna be
relyin' on her for everything.
-Come on.
-Yeah, so she's gonna
help out, uh, with the girls
a few nights a week.
I need the help. I mean,
we need the help.
Why don't you just
have her move in, Ma?
Ain't a bad idea.
Oh, that's pretty.
Let me see.
A little bit more.
-The other side?
-Want more blush?
-What's this?
-Self-worth!
Daddy,
look at me!
Well, don't you look like
perfect little peaches.
How about you go
wash your faces off
before Grammy has
a heart attack?
-Daddy.
-Go on.
Don't "Daddy" me. Get.
Bye, peanut.
Just havin'
a little girly fun.
Those are Theresa's.
Oh.
I'm sorry. I just figured,
she wasn't usin' 'em, so...
I got this.
Sorry. I guess I'll go.
That's probably best.
You're a real frustrating man,
you know that?
Sure, I ain't great
with boundaries,
so that's on me.
But I'm just trying
to help here.
Do somethin' nice
for the girls,
take their mind off
all the gloom and doom
around here.
I don't remember asking
for parenting advice.
You know, despite what
you may think, Ed,
you're not alone here.
All right, bye, girls.
-Bye.
-Bye.
Can I keep the jacket?
Doors don't open till 9:00.
I'm lookin' for Derek.
Derek!
Yeah.
Hold on a second.
Hi.
Hi, son.
What are you doin' here?
I was wondering if you
were gettin' my messages.
I went by your house and...
Yeah, yeah, I moved.
I didn't know. When was that?
What do you need, Ma?
Nothin'.
I just wanted to see you.
Well, here I am.
You saw me.
Your hair,
I like it like that.
Derek, wait.
Just started our work.
There's this family
I'm helpin'.
They have this little girl.
She's sick.
Um, I'm helpin' 'em
raise money for a surgery.
That's great.
Um...
Well, she's five.
And I guess
being around her...
makes me think of you
when you were little.
We used to take the bus
to the library.
Your little sock puppets.
Remember when
you used to say "Yew Nork"
instead of "New York"?
Is that why you're here,
Ma, to reminisce?
Because I got
a lot of memories too.
Do we have to do this
every time?
Well, you're the one
who showed up.
All right.
Look, I know...
I let you down.
I wasn't always there
when I should've been.
Bein' a single mom ain't easy.
And I know you're still angry,
and I'm sorry. I just...
I'm angry? I'm angry?
I'm the problem?
That's the problem here?
No, I didn't say that.
I said I'm sorry.
I said it a million times.
I know. You love to say
you're sorry.
But you've never
taken responsibility,
never, never gotten help,
never even admitted
that you needed it!
I can't do this.
I'm not gonna do...
I'm not gonna do this.
Would you please leave?
Please.
Okay. I'm goin'.
I'm sorry I showed up here.
You know...
that girl,
I feel sorry for her.
Yeah. Me, too.
Not because she's sick.
Because she's countin'
on you for help.
Sorry, sorry, sorry. I'm back.
Here you go.
Daddy!
Daddy!
Daddy! Daddy!
I'm itchy and my belly hurts.
Oh. Uh...
All right, uh, get up.
-You wanna go on an adventure?
-Mmm-hmm.
Yeah, okay. Gotcha, come on.
Sorry to call.
I know it's early.
Uh...
I, uh...
I could use a favor.
Mornin', y'all.
Aunt Sharon.
-Hi, little miss. Hi.
-Hi.
How you doin', Ed?
Well, good.
Hi, peanut.
All right, let's get you home,
get you dressed,
and get you to school.
Again, sorry.
Ma can't drive with her foot.
You don't need to say sorry,
Ed. I'm happy to help.
Here, brought you a muffin.
Oh.
Wanna go
to Waffle House first?
-Really?
-Are you hungry?
Yeah.
I've to say,
I really like
having you around.
Not sure Ed agrees.
Well, he's just grumpy
like his daddy was.
-Hey.
-Upped her medication.
-Again?
-400 more a month.
Ugh!
It's just robbery.
Daddy, which color
are Mommy's eyes?
It's for school.
That's Grammy.
That's Pop Pop.
And that's you,
and that's Mommy.
But I can't remember
which color to use
for her eyes.
Mommy's eyes were brown.
Okay.
Hey, so I was, uh...
thinkin' of takin' the girls
roller-skatin'.
Why don't you come?
-Now?
-Yeah.
Nah.
Come on.
You can't work all the time.
You gotta play a little.
The girls need to have
some fun with their daddy.
I don't roller-skate.
Everyone roller-skates.
I don't.
Hey, girls!
Guess what?
Your daddy's goin'
roller-skatin' with us!
-Really?
-What? Really?
No way!
You're a natural too.
Must run in the family.
Careful, Daddy.
Careful,
don't push your papa now.
-You havin' fun?
-Yeah.
You don't
wanna push him down.
No, don't pull on me.
-You're gonna pull me down.
-I love this song.
Oh, yeah! You got the moves!
Yeah!
Oh, I got ya. I got ya.
-No frownin' anymore.
-Not too fast.
We need to turn
that frown upside down.
If I can get out of this
death spiral, maybe I can.
Smile.
Circles. Let's go.
Faster.
This was fun.
Told ya.
I appreciate
everything you've done.
Still doin' for the girls.
But if I'm bein' honest...
Yes, Ed.
Be honest. Why not?
I resent it.
I can't tell
if that's a thank you
or an apology.
You help me out.
I'm her father.
I'm supposed to be the one
taking care of her.
Hmm. I'll tell you what.
I'll keep on helpin',
and you can keep on
resentin' it, all right?
So what about you?
Oh, I don't like
to talk about me.
I find that hard to believe.
I like to talk,
just not about me.
Right. Okay.
Married? Kids?
Hmm.
Long ago.
Married young.
Then he realized he had a dream,
which didn't include me.
Or our son.
So, he started a band.
He's had some success.
I'm happy for him.
We don't talk much.
Your son?
Same.
But like I said,
I don't like to talk about me.
You and me both.
Three, four,
five, six...
...seven, eight...
Happy birthday,
dear Derek
Happy birthday to you
I can't believe you're 23.
I went...
roller-skatin' tonight
in your honor.
You know you'll always be
mama's little stink bug.
I love you.
Happy birthday, son.
Let's water
the pool.
Baby, let's make
a magic potion again.
-Yeah.
-All right.
Here, water the other plants.
You're gonna water
one of those plants.
Hi.
All right, I got an idea.
But before you go sayin' no,
you gotta hear me out.
-Promise?
-No.
Come on. It's a good idea.
You gotta promise.
All right.
Okay, I've been doin'
some lookin' around.
And I found this.
No.
-Hey. You promised.
-Just listen to her.
It's a real nice place.
Look, I found movers
who'll donate their services.
The rent is half
your current mortgage
and you got...
Wait for it...
$126,000 in cash.
That's how much equity
you got.
Ashley, keep an eye
on your sister.
I'm headed back to work.
-Ed.
-No.
You gotta work with me here.
I'm doin' everything I can,
but for every dollar I raise,
you owe five more.
I'm not sellin'.
I already told you that.
Ed.
Ed, your roofing jobs
ain't gonna cut it.
Sell this house
and we got a fighting chance.
Sharon, that's enough!
This is the last piece
of her I got left.
I'm not selling the only house
my daughters have ever known,
the house my father built,
so we can give the money
to some collection agency.
Not happenin'.
Well, look who got
a lot to say all of a sudden.
And you're asking us
to reduce
the family's medical bills
due to hardship?
No, I'm asking you
to erase them.
All of 'em.
Was that funny?
Let me show you somethin'.
Ed's daughter
made this for school.
A family tree.
A simple drawing
made by a child.
How one life leads to another.
Or in this case, how one death
-leads to another.
-Miss Stevens, please.
Theresa Schmitt
came to this hospital for help.
Now, the good doctors
did their best to save her,
but they couldn't
and she died.
Leaving behind
a heartbroken husband
and a very ill little girl.
Michelle.
Her treatment costs
thousands of dollars a month
her family can't afford.
Know why?
'Cause after you sent
her mama to the morgue,
you sent them a bill so high,
their family couldn't
pay it off in 100 years.
You realize
the message you're sendin'
this girl, right?
You're sayin', "We charged
your mama so much to die
that you gotta die too."
We can't just eliminate
hundreds of thousands
of dollars
in medical bills.
Now, I'm sorry.
I truly am.
Virginia.
What if it was your daughter?
Forgive me, but I did
a little homework, and I know
you got a beautiful
11-year-old girl.
What if it was her
I was here tryin' to save?
You'd wanna find a way, right?
For her to have a future.
To build branches of her own.
Please.
Gotta be somethin'
we can do here.
Open it.
Thought you might
wanna frame this.
It's the latest hospital bill.
$400,000 wiped clean.
Everything from Theresa's
hospital stay to all
the out-of-pocket expenses,
all of it gone.
What?
How?
I told you I wasn't good
at takin' no for an answer.
Well, look,
we still have a lot of
medications and
the credit cards to pay off.
-But this means that...
-We keep the house.
You get to keep the house.
Ed, I don't wanna
overreact here,
but I think this moment
warrants a high five.
Excuse me.
It's gonna be
a late one, boys.
-Gotta wrap this out tonight.
-Ah. All right.
Let's get goin', boys.
"The old man frowned.
"'Don't you see
the beach stretches for miles
"'and there are more starfish
than you can count?
"'Even if you worked
all day and night,
"'it still wouldn't make
a difference.'
"As the man spoke, the boy...
"the girl picked up
another starfish
"and tossed it
back into the ocean.
"Then, grinnin', she said..."
Barbara!
No, no, no! My-Belle!
Ed. Ed.
We just got a call.
Your daughter's been taken
to the hospital.
She's desatting.
Hurry.
Hurry, get her in there.
Get the mask on her now.
I'm gonna need a CHEM-7,
CBC, and a full blood panel.
Clear the hall! Thank you.
I'm sorry, folks.
No one past this point.
I think we're gonna need
a crash cart too.
Watch the door, please.
Hey.
Oh, my...
Tell me exactly what happened.
I don't know.
She's got
a tube in her nose.
She started
coughin' up blood.
It just came out.
She wasn't...
Her condition
is not good.
Now, we've moved her up
to number one
on the transplant list.
But she needs a donor liver
to show up as fast
as we can get it.
How long does she have
without it?
Four weeks.
Six, maybe.
Look, if a donor match
is available in time,
Michelle will need to fly
to the children's hospital
in Omaha immediately.
They're the closest ones
that perform this kind
of surgery.
But they're 700 miles away
and a ten-hour drive,
and the donor liver
is only viable for six hours.
I've had patients
who have missed
that window because
they couldn't get a flight.
So, I would recommend
that you arrange to have
a plane stand by.
Wait. So, wait.
You're telling me we need
a plane now?
-I would recommend that you...
-What do you mean? Like what?
Like a private plane?
-Look, I...
-Is that what you...
-I know this is a lot
to take in.
-A private plane?
How exactly do you recommend
-we get a plane, Doc?
-Hey. Wait.
No, tell me. Ma,
how do we do that?
-How do we arrange a plane?
-We'll figure it out.
We will.
Ed.
I'll get you a plane,
I promise.
-You'll get a plane?
-What?
-A private plane?
-I will.
Mmm-hmm.
Thank you.
We're just
a charter service, ma'am.
We don't own the planes.
Oh, I see. Who does?
Corporations mainly,
big companies, CEO types.
Okay. All right.
Well, thank you for your time.
Uh-huh.
Albert,
there's a Sharon Stevens
on the phone.
Who now?
Sharon Stevens.
I don't know that name.
I didn't think so.
I'm sorry.
He is not available.
Oh, that's okay.
I'm happy to wait.
I don't expect him
to be available.
He's very busy.
You have a nice day.
No. Wait.
Hi, good afternoon.
Can I please speak
to Maurice Thomas?
This is Sharon Stevens.
I was wonderin'
if I could speak
to Donald Coletti.
Felipe Alves.
Anthony Lendary.
I meant "Lundary."
Um, hi, yeah, is this
Cardinal Finance and Trust?
It's really important,
and I promise
I won't take much of his time.
Is Mr. Blaine in?
I'm tryin' to make
an appointment.
Hi, Lydia. Sharon Stevens.
Sorry to bug you again.
Just forgot to ask you
one important question.
What's your favorite kind
of muffin?
First Bank of Kentucky.
This is Doris.
May I help you?
Hi, Miss Janine.
Bow to your blueberry muffins.
So you can read a little bit
more about her.
While you do that,
I'm gonna show you
this little girl.
So the thing is, when you learn
you have to get a private plane
to save her life...
Oh, this poor child.
Al, there's a woman out here
you should meet.
Janine, I'm busy right now.
Can you have her
come back later?
Albert, get your butt
out here now.
Hi, there.
I'm Albert.
Congratulations, Albert.
I'm gonna make you a hero.
Hey.
Guess what I got.
Wait. No way.
You got a plane?
-Nope.
-Ah.
I got five planes.
-Just in case.
-What?
I can't believe it.
Oh! Ed, Ed, get in here.
-What?
-She did it. Sharon did it.
She got a plane.
Uh, she got a bunch of planes.
How?
-Can't believe it.
-Wait, you know what?
Don't even tell me.
Well, we ain't done yet.
We got more money to raise.
No, you've done enough.
Oh, you've done
more than enough.
We don't need to be
runnin' around worryin' about
-money and bills right now.
-No, you...
I mean,
surgery's gonna be a couple
hundred thousand dollars.
You know,
and without
your roofin' account,
you're gonna be right back
where you were, so...
Sharon...
you've done enough.
No more fundraisin'.
I just wanna be
with my family right now.
He's so frustratin'.
He won't listen to me.
-What?
-Ed.
He's just so stubborn.
We gotta keep workin'.
Build more awareness.
Okay, you know what?
That's it. I've held
my tongue long enough.
You're gone all the time,
you're losing clients,
you done emptied out
your savings account
for these people,
you're running yourself
into the ground.
And I know you're drinkin'.
I'm not drinkin', Rose.
-I'm working.
-Not here you're not.
'Cause I've been doin' this
all by myself.
Look, I know
that you're tryin' to do
a good thing here.
But this, all of this...
it's addict behavior.
Is it?
Well, I'd love to talk more
about that,
but I'm busy
tryin' to keep
a little girl from dyin'.
How did it become
your responsibility
to save her?
'Cause I'm here. 'Cause I can.
Because nobody did it for me.
Someone's gotta do
somethin', Rose.
Someone's gotta fight for her.
And if it's me, then it's me.
And if that's addict behavior,
then, hey,
I guess I am an addict.
Might as well put it
to good use.
Ed, wanna come in?
We're ready to do
the Advent calendar.
-Yeah, we're on our way.
-Okay.
-Come on, Michelle-my-belle.
-Careful.
-You ready?
-This chair.
-Here, this is comfy.
-Oh.
Hmm.
-Butterflies. Yeah.
-Butterflies.
Just like you.
Twenty-three days.
Twenty-three days
till Christmas.
I wonder what
we'll get tomorrow.
How many weeks is 23 days?
Like three weeks.
Will you open
my presents for me
if I'm not there?
You can open
your own presents, dummy.
I heard Daddy.
He said I might not have
three weeks left.
Here, this is for you.
Open it right now.
Just in case.
It's a starfish
I made at school.
Do you like it?
What is that for?
I love it.
Give it to me again
on Christmas. Okay?
What are you doin' up?
I wanted to see you.
Where's your grandma?
She's upstairs with Michelle.
-Daddy?
-Hmm?
Is Michelle gonna die
like Mama?
The Mighty Morphin
Power Ranger.
At KB, there are only 15 left.
And when the doors
finally open two hours later,
you might as well just
leave your Christmas cheer
with the reindeer.
I'm Amy Chan, and good night.
Yeah, can I please
get the number for ABC
news station in Louisville?
Lookin' good, Ed.
What's goin' on over
at your house?
How do you mean?
What in the world?
Can you tell me
what kind of things
you like to do during the day?
What's happenin'?
What is this?
-Ed.
-Wait, is this the father?
It's so nice to meet you.
I'm Amy Chan from WPVK.
-Can I actually ask you
a few questions?
-No, ma'am.
I don't want an interview,
don't want any cameras here.
Appreciate it
if y'all pack it up.
Can I talk to you both?
We'll be right back.
Was I somehow unclear?
I say no more fundraising,
now you got her on TV beggin'
for money
in front of the whole world?
It's not the whole world.
It's just local.
It's strangers in our home.
She's sick, Sharon.
And I told you
I don't want this.
Oh, Ed, she's just so excited
to be on TV.
Look,
I'm sorry, I know.
This is a good opportunity
to get her story out.
It's good for her, Ed.
Trust me.
Honestly, who do you
think you are?
Ed. Ed.
She's tryin' to help us.
She's doin' the best she can
and then some.
You've done
a lot for my family.
I'm not gonna say you haven't.
But let's stop pretending
you're doin' this for Michelle.
This is for you.
And get 'em outta my house.
All of 'em.
I gotta get back to work.
You really
have done an awful lot for us.
I just want you to know
that it means the world to me.
And to Ed.
Well, if you're all right
with the girls for a bit,
I think
I'm gonna head home.
-Yeah, sure.
-Yeah.
Are you all right to drive?
I'm fine. I mean,
I can't really walk,
but I can drive.
See you later.
Bye.
-Daddy.
-Hey.
What's wrong? What's wrong?
Aunt Sharon was
talkin' real funny,
and bein' really weird,
and scaring Michelle.
And now she's outside
and she won't move,
and I think she died.
Where's your sister?
Upstairs crying.
Okay.
Okay.
-Everything's fine.
-What?
Aunt Sharon's just sleepin'.
You go upstairs, take care
of your sister, okay?
-I'll wake her up.
-Okay.
Ed.
-I was just
gettin' some fresh air.
-Get your things.
-What?
-You need to go.
-No, I was just...
-Get up.
I'll call you a cab.
I can't have you
around the girls anymore.
Good choice.
Something
could've happened to her.
How could you do this here?
I'm broken, Ed.
I always have been.
I get it from my mama.
She was a mean drunk.
She never liked me.
And I never knew why.
But I swore I'd be different
with my kid.
But he hates me.
My son hates me.
I'm sure that's not true.
I have this voice in my head.
Every day, it tells me
I'm no good.
Not worth lovin',
not worth nothin'.
And drinkin' is the only thing
that makes that voice go away.
I guess I figured,
if I could save Michelle,
maybe it would save me, too.
Just usin' your daughter
to fix myself like that...
I'm sorry.
I'm Really...
I'm really so sorry.
-No.
-Hey.
Hey.
Tell those girls good night.
I need help.
I'm Sharon.
And I am an alcoholic.
Hi, Sharon.
Here we go.
This one.
Hmm.
Ashley, this is for you.
Still love it.
All right, we got
more to open.
Yeah, let's...
Hey, it's Derek.
You got my machine.
Do your thing at the beep.
Hi, it's me.
Merry Christmas.
I won't leave
any more messages after this.
No more apologies.
No more excuses.
Just want you to know
I'm goin' to meetings,
and I'm gettin' help.
-I like to swim.
-You like to swim?
Daddy, look.
Michelle's on TV.
-What else
do you like to do?
-I like to ride on my...
-That's me.
-The address
on your screen is where
donations can be sent to help
-support this family...
-It's so cool.
-...as they struggle...
-You're like a movie star.
...to cover medical bills.
And to help pay for little
Michelle's liver transplant.
I'm Amy Chan for WPVK News.
Have a great evening.
Here you go, Mommy.
Let's get these
out of the way.
You mad at God, Dad?
Is that why
we don't pray anymore?
It's okay.
Everybody gets mad sometimes.
You should still
talk to Him, though.
You first.
Hi, God. It's Ashley and Dad.
Say hi.
Don't be rude.
Hi.
We miss you.
And we're worried
about Michelle.
I'm thankful that we get
to spend Christmas together.
Couple of
announcements before we start.
Please remember to...
if you purchased a poinsettia,
please take it with you
at the close of the service.
We're gonna start with
one of my favorites,
Angels We Have Heard on High,
which you can find
on the insert
in your program.
Good to have you back, Ed.
All right, sing with me,
won't you?
Oh, boy.
This is big.
And when I say big,
I mean, really, really,
really small.
That's small.
Daddy.
Look, it's snowing.
Well, would you look at that?
Got the last gallon
of milk.
-Hey. Hey.
-Good thing I walked.
Roads are all iced up.
It really looks like
it's comin' down now.
Yeah, it's only
gonna get worse.
Officials are saying
be prepared
for what they're calling
the worst blizzard
in state history.
-Forty-two thousand homes...
-Hm.
...without power.
Half of the interstates
are closed,
and all inbound,
-outbound flights grounded.
-I hope we got enough food.
Highway patrol says
stay off the roads,
hunker down where you are.
This storm isn't letting up
anytime soon.
I'll get it.
I got it.
Hello?
Ah, yes,
just a moment, please.
Ed, for you.
Here. There you go.
This is Ed.
What?
Today?
Yeah, I got it.
Six hours?
That's for pre-op?
Yeah, okay. We gotta be
on the plane when?
Tomorrow.
Okay.
Okay. We'll be there.
Six hours to Omaha.
Ed, Ed.
Honey, listen, listen.
It's not gonna be possible.
-We'll make it possible.
-No, look. Look outside.
Look, we're snowed in.
I mean, the roads
haven't been plowed.
The airport's closed.
Honey, listen.
It's too dangerous.
You gotta call the doctor back.
-No.
-Honey,
maybe this isn't
our liver, okay?
Maybe this one needs to go
to somebody else's child.
No. It is, Ma.
It has to be.
-But...
-This is our last chance.
If we don't take it,
Michelle dies.
If you take her
out there in this,
-she dies.
-Ma, I'll make it.
I have to make it.
Hello?
Sharon, it's Ed.
Ed, hi, hi.
Listen, I've heard
you're doin' good.
I'm real glad about that,
but right now,
I gotta cut to the chase
'cause there's not much time.
Okay.
We got a liver, Sharon.
We got it.
-Today?
-Yes.
Michelle's gotta be
in Omaha in six hours.
-Six hours?
-Actually less.
Look, if I can't find a way
to make this work by sundown,
we gotta give the liver to
the next family who needs it.
That's barely two hours
from now.
Yep. Today's the day, Sharon.
We gotta get it done.
Just have her bags packed.
I'll call you back.
Okay.
-Okay.
-Boom.
-There we go.
-What? Come on.
Go get your narrow
behind out this kitchen.
Shoot.
Hello.
I need you to call
highway patrol.
Find out which roads are open,
and then plot a route
from 12th and Henley
to the airport.
-Wait, what?
-It's liver time. This is it.
Oh, good Lord. Today?
Yes. And I need you to do this
as fast as you can.
It's a two-hour flight,
then 45-minute drive
to the hospital,
30 minutes to prep her.
That gives us
a little over two hours
to get her to the airport
36 miles away.
We miss that deadline,
we lose the liver.
We lose Michelle.
-Okay. 12th and...
-Henley. Off the Pike.
I still gotta find a plane
that'll fly in this storm.
Do it. I got this.
Al, I need to get
that plane up today.
Ha! Real funny.
But I'm dead serious.
The liver just came in.
Uh, okay, then.
I'll call the pilot.
I don't think they're gonna
takeoff in this weather.
I'd imagine the airport's
snowed in like the rest of us.
Just ask him
if there's any way.
-Please.
-Uh, I'll get back to you.
Airport's closed, ma'am.
-All runways.
-No.
You hear me?
"No" is not an option.
We are goin' to
save this girl.
You're gonna clear a runway.
Please.
I meant to say "please."
Let me see what I can do.
Come on.
Yeah.
Okay,
so he's going to take
Rounders Pike
to Preston Highway...
-to I-65.
-Sixty-five just closed.
Interstate 65 is now closed.
Oh, crap. Okay, scratch that.
He gonna have to go around.
He's gonna
have to go through...
Canyon Creek.
Canyon Creek?
That's a one-lane highway.
That's the only road
that's not closed.
Hold on.
I'm gettin' another call.
-Hello?
-Yeah, you're the lady
called about the flight
for the little girl?
Yes, that's me.
We're gonna make an exception
and open up the runway.
We'll have someone
-waitin' for you at the gate.
-Thank you.
Thank you. God bless you.
And tell that other guy
I'm real sorry I yelled.
Sharon says take Canyon Creek
all the way around.
It'll spit you out
just south of the tarmac.
-Canyon Creek?
-Yeah.
That'll add time.
We only got a...
hour 42.
No, honey,
it's the only route.
-Take care of your grandma.
-Okay.
-Wait!
-I love you.
Bye, Michelle-my-belle.
Honey, what?
-Meli, bring it
back to me, okay?
-Okay.
Be careful out there!
Okay, here we go.
This is Sharon.
Sharon, he'll take
that plane up.
-He'll do it?
-Yes.
He said he's flown
in worse storms than this.
He's on his way right now.
Oh, my God. Thank you, Al.
Thank you more
than you'll ever know.
I'm cold, Daddy.
I know, baby. I know.
We'll warm up.
More bad news
from the highways.
More closures on
265 Watterson Expressway,
and a big rig jackknifed
on Canyon Creek,
closing traffic
-in both directions.
-Come on.
You gotta be kiddin' me.
Gotta get him
to turn around
and go a different route.
There is no other route.
They're all blocked.
And we don't have a way
to get ahold of him anyway.
Well, he's gonna find out
soon enough.
And I think
it goes without saying that
this just isn't the kind
of weather we're used
to here in Louisville.
Yeah, that's right...
Where are we, Daddy?
Be right back.
Wait here a second.
Oh, come on.
The sun's goin' down.
We're runnin' out of time.
Come on, Rose. There's gotta
be a way to get him through.
Okay, hold on.
If we can't get through,
how about we get over?
Over?
What do you mean...
Oh, like a helicopter.
-You're a genius.
-Thanks.
Wait a minute.
How the heck
do we get a helicopter?
We're gonna
keep an eye on this for you
and we'll be right back
with more.
Gotta call you back.
I know there's...
a service road
on Canyon Creek somewhere.
Meets up with surface streets.
-That'll work.
-What'll work?
Daddy's got a new plan.
You wanna go on an adventure?
Yeah.
All right. Sit tight.
Sharon Stevens on line four.
Oh, put her through.
-Thank you. Thank you.
-You got it.
Sharon, hey. How are you?
You need a what?
Hold on for me, baby.
Here we go.
Highway exits
virtually at standstill...
-Hello.
-Don't panic.
-Turn to Channel Seven.
-Oh.
Ashley, click on
Channel Seven. Hurry up.
...the airport are closed,
and her only hope now
is a helicopter.
Please, if you're
a helicopter pilot,
or know one...
He's gotta be somewhere
on Canyon Creek.
Find him and tell him
we're trying to get
a helicopter.
-Got it.
-I think he's in, uh,
a truck, a blue truck.
Almost there.
Almost.
I'm sleepy, Daddy.
I'll need you to stay awake
for me, all right?
Hey, we're gonna
make it, kiddo.
-We're gonna make it.
-Mmm-hmm.
What is this?
Okay. Okay.
Okay.
Hold on. Hold on.
Come on!
Don't do this to me! Come on!
Come on!
Please!
Please. Please.
Please, not like this.
Come here, butterfly.
How come you're crying, Daddy?
I love you so much, baby girl.
Daddy loves you so, so much.
Are we going on the plane?
We're goin' home.
But first...
Daddy has
to make a call.
Dave, come here.
They're talkin' about
little Michelle Schmitt
on the TV.
Our Michelle?
They got her a liver,
but the roads are closed,
and now they're tryin'
to get a helicopter.
Amy, I know our viewers
have always come through
in the past.
They will again this time.
WPVK viewers
always come through
in Louisville.
The numbers are on your screen.
Please give us a call.
It's very important.
Operator.
How may I direct your call?
Yes, I have an emergency.
Please connect me
to St. Andrew's
Children's Hospital.
Anyone with a shred
of a connection
to a helicopter pilot,
please give us... Oh.
We've got a caller
on line one.
Go ahead. You're on the air.
Hello. This is Todd
from A-1 Aviation.
I remember that little girl
from the news.
I got a helicopter.
And you can fly in this weather?
Ma'am,
I flew 26 missions in Saigon,
-so, yeah.
-Yes!
-I can handle a little snow.
-Yes!
You guys,
we got a helicopter!
We got a helicopter.
What we'll need now is
a flat, open place
to pick her up.
No trees, no power lines.
I'm gonna need about
100 feet by 100 feet
cleared of snow
-so I can land.
-Did everyone hear that?
I know where they can
land that helicopter.
-Quick, where's the phone?
-They need a cleared-up space
-big enough to land.
-Where's the cordless?
Just use
the one in the kitchen.
-Use the one on the wall.
-Right, right.
Okay, we've got
a caller on line two.
Go ahead.
Yeah, hi.
This is Pastor Dave Stone
of Southeast Christian Church.
You can land the helicopter
in our parking lot.
-It's on Washington.
-That's Pastor Dave.
You hear that, Louisville?
The parking lot
of Southeast Church.
Interstate 64.
But we're gonna
need help clearin' it.
So, anyone...
anyone
who's hearin' this, please,
come on down and help us.
And to my congregation,
please spread the word.
Get to the church.
Let's help save
this little girl.
And bring shovels.
We're gonna need
a lot of shovels.
Oh, okay, everybody,
get some shovels.
Get all the shovels.
We gotta get some blankets.
And coats and...
Where are my shoes?
All right, you can go
with the Bordens.
They're right there
waitin' on the corner.
-Okay.
-Here you go.
Here, put this on.
It's freezin'.
All right.
Grab a shovel off the porch.
-Go on. Be careful out there.
-Okay.
Ed?
It's Dr. Ghorbani.
Everything all right?
Doc.
They're prepping for surgery.
They need Michelle
at the hospital
in less than four hours.
I can't.
Ed?
I'm stuck.
-In the storm.
-Ed, if you need
to surrender the liver,
we have to know now, okay?
We have a second family
on standby. We can...
Look, she has the priority...
-...but tell me.
-Hey, man?
Are you gonna be able
to make it?
Hold on, Doc.
Is that your Bronco?
Yeah.
We're friends of Sharon.
Got a helicopter waitin'.
Take you to the airport.
-Ed, can you hear me?
-Gotta go. Come on.
Doc, never mind.
We're gonna make it.
-On our way.
-Go load your daughter
in the truck.
I gotta call Sharon.
Where we headed?
I'll follow you.
-Southeast Christian Church.
-That's my church.
They said you gotta
be there in 45 minutes.
Still time if we go now.
That's all the way back
the way I came.
And the interstate's closed.
Come on, let's go.
Jump in with us.
I know a way.
We're gonna
have to go off-road.
Let me drive.
There we go.
-Let's go, let's go!
-Yeah!
Try to get it off
to one side.
I'm here!
Well, look who decided
to show up.
Good to see you.
Another weather update.
We're getting reports
there's now
a second storm surge inbound,
and this one is looking
even uglier than the first,
with high winds...
...characteristics of almost
a winter hurricane,
and traveling is discouraged
through the rest of tonight
-and early tomorrow.
-Just great.
Twenty-six minutes.
Hold on tight.
...records for snowfall
and low temperature.
This ain't no light
and fluffy snow.
This ain't gonna work,
not without a lot more help.
Sharon.
Hey there.
Do you guys need a hand?
Let's go, guys!
Aunt Sharon!
All right,
come on, y'all. Split up!
We need 100 feet by 100 feet.
You guys stay here,
and the rest of y'all
go down that way.
With this storm gettin'
worse by the minute,
all of Louisville
is now holding its breath.
I can tell you,
everyone here at the station
is on the edge of their seat.
But one thing I know for sure,
that little girl now
has the entire city
rootin' for her.
We've got heavier snow
and the wind's
starting to pick up,
and it is gonna be intensifying
very quickly here.
Whiteout conditions.
We could be talking about
wind gusts of hurricane force
70 miles per hour or greater.
So, these are gonna be bands
of really heavy snow
and a strong northerly wind.
This is gonna be
a really powerful storm...
I got your message.
I got all of 'em.
Let's save this little girl.
-Yeah.
-What do you say?
-Yeah.
-Yeah?
Yeah.
We've got some fantastic news.
The helicopter is now
only five minutes away.
Five minutes.
Let's go. Let's go.
Faster!
You doin' okay, butterfly?
-Mmm-hmm.
-Okay.
All right. All right,
few more miles.
Homestretch.
There it is!
There it is.
It's here! It's here!
There it is.
Nice.
There it is.
We made it.
There's Ed!
Let's go, Ed!
-Let's go.
-We gotta keep goin'.
-He's here.
-Let's do this!
-It's all right.
-It's Michelle!
She made it!
Let's go!
-We ain't done yet.
-Oh.
So, still feel alone now?
This is...
incredible.
Hi, little one.
-Missed you so much.
-Daddy!
-Hey, come here, baby.
-Look what we did!
You did good.
-Watch out!
-Watch out!
-Watch out!
-Turn up the radio.
Getting word from the pilot.
Go ahead.
I can't
see the landing area
in the whiteout conditions.
Said he can't see.
It's a whiteout.
I'm sorry.
I just can't see.
No, we did not come
this far to fail.
Headlights!
Everybody, turn on
your headlights quick!
-Yeah, good idea.
-Put on lights.
Headlights.
Turn on the headlights.
Wait, Ashley.
Where's she goin'?
Hey, Ashley!
Ashley!
-Does this help?
-That's good. We got it.
I can see that.
Yeah? Yeah,
he says he can see.
I need more.
Give me more.
Everybody, get your coats!
Blankets, anythin'!
Take
a look at the pictures, Amy.
They're coming in now of...
Those are jackets, I believe,
being laid out.
People are literally...
...taking off their jackets,
putting them down
-for him to see.
-Okay, he's good.
He's good to land.
Okay, everybody, get back!
Back up so he can land!
Hey, butterfly.
Aw.
Michelle, look.
Butterflies.
Go on, Ed!
Godspeed, Ed.
Oh.
I want you to know somethin'.
That voice in your head
couldn't be more wrong.
You're not just worthy, Sharon.
You're a miracle.
Go. Go.
Oh, and, Sharon...
somethin' else
I've been meanin' to say.
Thank you.
And there she goes.
Little Michelle Schmitt
off to surgery.
And our prayers go with her.
-What an incredible moment.
-Thank you.
We'll take a short break
and be right back.
We love you, Michelle!
Ma.
Ma.
Hey, butterfly.
I called the
radio station and asked them
why the helicopter
couldn't land back here,
and they said it would
have to be plowed.
The next thing
you know, everybody started
comin' from everywhere.
Perfect strangers
you're never gonna see again
come out to help somebody
they've never even laid eyes
on before.
It really makes you feel good.
I can't believe it,
and I'd say thank you
from the bottom of my heart.
That doesn't seem
to be enough.
But I just want
everybody to know
how much we appreciate it.