Sean Astin and Elijah Wood help with Make a Film Foundation project

In 2009, both Sean Astin and Elijah Wood worked on a Make a Film Foundation project. Make a Film Foundation teams film industry professionals with children who have been diagnosed with critical or life-threatening medical conditions in order to help them create short film legacies.

Clayton Beabout, who was 11 when first chosen to be a participant in the MAFF project, suffers from VATER syndrome, an association of skeletal abnormalities. Now 14, Clay has undergone 40 surgeries, and is expected to need about 10 more. He has also written and starred in his first film, "Deep Blue Breath," which premiered in Los Angeles in April. The movie is a sweet and touching story about where Clay's thoughts go while he is in surgery, and costars Sean as his father. Elijah was a mentor for Clay during the filmmaking process, and is featured in the DVD.

Deep Blue Breath is currently being shown at film festivals and special fund raising screenings around the country. It has won several awards, including a best young actor award for Clay.

You can purchase a copy of the DVD by going to the MAFF website and donating a minimum of $20. Be sure to specify you want the Deep Blue Breath DVD and provide a mailing address.

Here are a couple of screen caps from the movie and the making of documentary included on the DVD and some behind the scenes pics:

Elijah mentors Clay

Sean as the father

Elijah and Clay

Sean and Clay

For more information on the Make a Film Foundation, visit their website, Twitter page and Facebook page.