'Connected' episode 3: "In a split second, everything changed"
The new AOL Originals docu-series, Connected, follows New Yorkers taping footage of themselves sans film crew for six months in a new twist on the unscripted format.
The fourth episode features Eli and Ido Bendet-Taicher, a couple living in Queens with two daughters. In their opening scenes, viewers get a snapshot of some of the most relatable moments of parenthood as the Bendet-Taichers go about everyday life, from spending time at the beach to coaxing a wired toddler into bed while the neighbors are making "funny noises" in the apartment next door.
"At least someone's having sex," jokes Eli.
But in later scenes (around thirteen minutes into the episode), the story dives deeper as Eli explains the very large elephant in the room. A little under one year ago, the family lost Isli, one of their twin daughters, to neonatal meningitis when she was eight days old. The docu-series begins to fully come into itself in these moments, opening the door to the complications that come along with coping with sudden death both personally and as a family.
"It's too much to handle, this whole Demi-Isli game," Eli says, breaking down on camera as he explains why his toddler, Milo, was pretending to be baby Isli in a stroller. "It just crushes me."
It wasn't until the couple brought their newborn twins home that they saw any signs of illness. "Everything seemed okay and we were released from the hospital. And then a day and a half at home, Isli stopped eating. We took her to the ER, and there in a split second everything changed."
"I still think about her every day," he continues. "Ido and I never really talked about Isli between us a lot. In a way we were just trying to move on, not talking about it. But I think we need some professional help."
The family deals with the aftermath of their personal tragedy as the series unfolds, showing resiliency and moments of joy while they learn to deal with their heartbreak. Also in this episode are Jonathan Bricklin, an aspiring writer, and Rosie Noesi, a radio and television personality.
For more information on neonatal meningitis, visit CDC.gov.
To watch more Connected, visit: aol.com/connected
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