We’re talking with Chris Ethridge, Director & Writer of Survivor Type (that’s right – there’s more than one!), an official Stephen King Dollar Baby. For those who don’t know, Dollar Babies are films made from Stephen King short stories with his permission. This program started back in the late 1970’s and ended in December 2023. After relatively few being made between the program’s start and the early 2000’s, the program exploded in popularity. According to Oscar Garrido, who runs the website Stephen King Short Movies (https://www.stephenkingshortmovies.com/movies/dollar-baby/), there are several hundred known made by filmmakers around the world. Robert met Chris at the first-ever KingCon in late October 2024 in Las Vegas, NV. This is a multi-part interview. 

Who is this show for? Short answer: everyone. As we like to say at YAX: You belong. Have fun. Is there something we’re not talking about that we should? Let us know and be the guest that shines the light on what we’re missing! 

Robert and Susan are the creators of the Daily Dose form an interesting duo. Robert is a longtime care partner for his father with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Susan is a woman who was diagnosed with PD in 2015. They’ve both made award-winning films about their experiences with PD and are now co-founders of the non-profit, YAX! – www.yesandexercise.com.

The mission of YAX! is to provide a safe, fun and kind place for people with and affected by Parkinson’s disease to connect, empower and enhance their lives through improvisation.

That’s right: improvisation. We play – mostly online so we can get as many people as we can from as many places as we can. We do not charge. We do accept donations from those who wish to pay it forward. 

Robert earned his PhD from the Interdisciplinary Health Sciences program at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. He is researching the effect of improvisation on PD and the results of his clinical trials can be found at his website, www.yesandexercise.org. 

Join us for fun, laughter and your daily dose of dope(-amine).

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Robert Cochrane, PhD Yes, And...eXercise!

Dr. Robert Cochrane is a graduate of UNLV's Integrated Health Sciences department. He's researching the effect of improvisation and storytelling on Parkinson’s disease. He received grants from the Parkinson's Foundation and support from the Davis Phinney Foundation along the way. He is a popular, unique and high energy Keynote speaker, bringing joy, optimism and practical tools for people in the PD community to thrive today.

He has a background in filmmaking, with the Artisan Entertainment release, The Playaz Court, and two Stephen King-based short films among his credits. His father, Dan, was diagnosed with PD in 2001, which shifted Robert’s artistic lens to health. He made his first documentary, the award-winning Boys of Summer in 2004. There are two follow up films in the series with the fourth film coming in 2023.

He moved his family back to Walnut Creek, CA, where he grew up. He lives there with his beautiful wife, two teenagers who are, indeed, "all that" and is a proud care partner for his amazing parents.