Sometimes the child you have isn't the one you were expecting...


What if you gave birth to a child with a rare genetic defect? Would you let nature take its course or would you do all you could to give your child a normal life? Recent medical advances are saving the lives of children born with Apert Syndrome, but to live a normal life one must look normal and this is where the journey of Torey's Distraction begins.

Filmed over a period of 10 years, the film follows Torey, Emily and Saige - all children born with Apert Syndrome - a rare genetic condition that causes craniofacial anomalies and skeletal mutation. Blood's directorial debut provides an intimate glimpse into the transforming powers of science, family, humor, hope and compassion.




Recipient of The Women in Film Foundation Finishing Fund

Jury Prize Award + Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature - New Orleans Film Festival

Audience Award Winner for Best Documentary Feature - Austin Film Festival

Official Selection Documentary Feature - USA Film Festival

Official Selection Documentary Feature - Dallas International Film Festival

Bronze Remi Award for Best Documentary - Houston International Film Festival

Official Selection Documentary Feature - DaVinci Film Festival

"How can I help?"


This was always the first question from the audience after each screening of the film. As a result, we created the Torey’s Distraction Fund.


The mission of the Torey’s Distraction Fund is to help children with craniofacial anomalies receive the best medical care possible by helping to pay for travel expenses for surgeries and medical consultations with the most qualified and experienced physicians available, help fund medical research and studies in the field of craniofacial anomalies, send children with Craniofacial Anomalies to the Annual Children's Craniofacial Association Retreat, and increase awareness of what it means to live everyday with a craniofacial anomaly.


The Dallas Foundation is the fiscal sponsor of the Torey’s Distraction Fund, a component fund of The Dallas Foundation, a 501(c)(3), publicly supported charity, Federal Tax ID 75-2890371.


All donations are tax deductible.



to donate by phone, call the DALLAS foundation at 214-741-9898

tisha blood

Tisha Blood is a Texas based filmmaker. Torey’s Distraction is her debut feature documentary. Prior to her work on Torey’s Distraction, Blood produced several 35mm shorts that have screened nationally and internationally from Slamdance in Park City to Raindance in London.

Blood is currently in production on a new documentary Bellini - You Don’t Know Me, about the internationally loved band Bellini. The film is a story of passion and music, filmed primarily on the road with Bellini and in Catania, Sicily.

Follow us