A deeply moving film celebrating the life of a dog that helped a Keswick fell runner face up to life after being diagnosed with a debilitating disease is to receive its premiere next week.
Simply called George, the film focuses on Jacob Tonkin’s struggles with Chrohn’s disease and its symptoms which include diarrhoea, stomach aches, cramps and blood in faeces, and his relationship with his Border collie which he describes as his “best mate”.
Thirty-one-year-old Jacob, who lives at Thirlmere and is a member of Keswick AC, was taking part in the Fellside Fell Race on August 17, 2019 and was in the top 10 coming down the last descent when he suffered severe stomach cramps and had to answer the call of nature.
He initially thought he had got food poisoning but the stomach cramps and overwhelming need to keep visiting the toilet continued for over a year.
“I was seriously ill and lost a lot of weight,” said Jacob, who has a massage therapy business based in Keswick. “I had stopped running and struggled going to work and there was a time that doctors thought I may only have a few months left to live.”
He was eventually diagnosed with Chrohn’s disease by a doctor at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle and the morning after he went to Burns Farm at Castlerigg to pick up George.
“George came into my life when I had no reason for waking up in the morning,” said Jacob. “George gave me a reason to get my life back on track and I don’t think I could have done it without him. I thought this illness that took so long to diagnose would probably be the end of my life.”
George helped Jacob by giving him a purpose in life and together they forged a strong friendship.
“He was growing and I was getting better health wise and I started running again. I decided that we would start ticking off Wainwrights and had done 104 when George had an accident and died. The second half of the film is about me carrying on doing the Wainwrights without him.”
Jacob now has another Border collie called Hector and had cause to visit the vets at Cockermouth this week – the first time he had been there since George died which he said had been a very moving experience.
The film, set in the mountains of the Lake District, was shot over a number of years and was the brainchild of Keswick film-maker James Appleton, a member of Keswick AC and joint business owner of Fell Pack, who now lives in Ullapool.
“The whole film is a celebration of him (George) and all he did for me during my darkest hours. The film is sad because we discuss when he died. I have watched it three times and I have cried each time I have seen it. We are encouraging people to bring along tissues.”
The film is to be shown at the Alhambra cinema on Friday September 27 and it promises to be a sell out judging by ticket sales. There will be a question and answer session with Jacob and James after the film has been shown.
For the first time the cinema is being opened up to dogs on a trial basis. James also intends to enter the film into some global outdoor festivals.
