Around Town

‘She Has Given Me Life Twice’: New Canaan Schoolteacher’s Mom Donates Kidney To Her Son

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Though Michael Patrona first was diagnosed with kidney disease 15 years ago, he’s always hoped that it would require only medication to treat into his old age. Yet in the last two years, Patrona—a popular fifth-grade teacher at Saxe Middle School and 1994 New Canaan High School graduate—has felt increasingly run down after work. One month ago, a routine blood test revealed that Patrona’s levels of creatinine—a chemical molecule transported to the kidneys—had skyrocketed dangerously. He needed a transplant, and faced the prospect of undergoing dialysis until a live kidney could be found. But as soon as she learned that her son needed a kidney, Patrona’s mom, Eileen Hynes, got tested, discovered she was a match and signed up to donate her organ.

Around Town

Did You Hear … ?

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4th Man Out – TRAILER (Green band)

4TH MAN OUT is coming out on February 5, in theaters and VOD. Evan Todd (“Switched at Birth”) stars as Adam, a small-town, blue-collar mechanic who likes beer and hockey but surprises his buddies when he tells them he’s gay.

Some very exciting news to share here: 1998 New Canaan High School graduate Jed Mellick is producer of a highly acclaimed new feature film, “Fourth Man Out,” which is set for a Feb. 5 release in 11 cities including New York City. The movie (check out the trailer above), reviewed here by Variety, has earned accolades from critics and at film festivals over the past several months. We hear from Jed that for anyone who cannot make it to a theater, Feb. 5 will mark a release date on VOD and other platforms, and there’s a pre-order link on this web page with the trailer.