• Alumna videographer documents soldier’s strength after devastating war injury

    When Travis Mills’ daughter, Chloe, reaches for her father, she playfully grabs at an arm that is no longer there.

    It’s a moving image in the trailer for Travis: A Soldier’s Story, a film documenting the struggles and triumphs of Staff Sergeant Travis Mills, one of just five American soldiers to survive a quadruple-amputation injury in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The film follows Mills, his wife, Kelsey, and Chloe as they work through both the extreme physical and emotional obstacles that followed after he was injured in an IED explosion in Afghanistan in 2012.

    You might want to get some Kleenex before you watch this trailer:

    The film is produced by Baylor alumna Katie Norris, BS ’08, CEO and founder of Fotolanthropy, a non-profit organization sharing stories of people who have overcome adversity through photography and film. At Fotolanthropy, Norris works alongside two Baylor alums — her husband, secretary and treasurer Reece Norris, BBA ’03, and vice-president Brooke Moore, BS ’11.

    “Travis’s favorite quote is ‘never give up, never quit,’ and watching him persevere through his adversities each day has truly inspired me and taught me that you can do anything if you commit, dedicate and work hard,” Norris says. “Our team has adopted this mindset, and it has been an incredible journey to see what really can happen if you never give up.”

    Norris hopes to introduce the Mills family to an even wider audience. Individuals can request screenings in their hometown to bring Travis’ story to theaters nationwide.

    You can see the film in showings across the country, including screenings in Denton (October 14) and Frisco (October 24) next month.

    Sic ’em, Katie!