Starring actor David Duchovny, "Louder Than Words" chronicles the lives of John Fareri (played by Duchovny) and his wife, Brenda (played by Hope Davis), when their daughter, Maria, unexpectedly becomes seriously ill and is rushed to Westchester Medical Center. Doctors eventually discover that she has rabies, while the family had no knowledge she had even been in contact with a bat. By then, it is too late to save her. Maria died at the age of 13 in 1995.
Instead of being torn apart by their tragedy, the Fareris try to put their lives together and discover a way to honor their daughter – the creation of Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital, which would help thousands of children and their families deal better with situations similar to theirs.
While mourning the death of their child, John and Brenda Fareri learned that as part of a school project Maria had expressed a special wish "for the health and well-being of all the children in the world." That thought served as an inspiration.
Despite encountering skepticism about the feasibility of such a large undertaking, the Fareris succeeded in raising funds, including donations from more than 20,000 members of the community, and the hospital opened in 2004.
“I am pleased that our story was depicted in such a touching and uplifting way. It is a story about hope and healing and shows that sometimes words cannot always heal, but that actions can,” said John Fareri. "We hope that the power of fighting and redemption helps other families dealing with similar situations."
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