WITH EVERY BREATH
Mary Pacherres has been on dialysis for eight years to treat her chronic kidney disease, which is impacting rural communities throughout Peru. Both of her brothers died from the same disease. While the exact causes are still unknown, researchers speculate that heat stress and dehydration are the main culprits along with exposure to agricultural chemicals, unsafe working conditions, and the effects of climate change. Health workers are in the process of conducting voluntary screenings throughout the country in an effort to treat patients before the illness becomes terminal.
With Every Breath takes us into Mary's life as she contends with her disease and dialysis treatment in her remote village in Northern Peru, an area historically abandoned by the Peruvian state.
This film has been featured in National Geographic’s Short Film Showcase, which spotlights exceptional short videos created by filmmakers from around the world and selected by National Geographic editors