“5 DAYS TO LIVE”: A Journey Through Love, Legacy, and Overcoming the Impossible

Documentary about The Option Institute International Learning and Training Center Founders set to be released.

SHEFFIELD, Mass., Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Barry “Bears” Neil Kaufman’s remarkable life is set to be unveiled in the touching documentary, “5 Days To Live.” As a raw and heartwarming tribute to a life lived with passion and purpose, this documentary chronicles Bears’ resilience in the face of a life-altering stage-four metastatic cancer diagnosis. 

About “5 Days to Live”: 

After receiving a prognosis of just five days to live, Bears, alongside his wife and life partner, Samahria, created an unusual and unconventional program to live. It’s now 21 months later and he is alive and thriving – no chemo, no radiation! The documentary shares the tapestry of key events that shaped their lives of extraordinary challenges and triumphs. Their journey, spanning more than six decades, is a stirring testament to love, determination, and the power of the human spirit. 

The film takes viewers through pivotal moments:

• A budding romance at 17 and 18 that has grown even stronger 64 years later.
• The evolution of their unique therapeutic approach, “The Option Process®”, birthed from personal challenges.
• Their unyielding dedication when faced with their son’s severe autism diagnosis in the 1970s, led to the groundbreaking “Son-Rise Program®” which has helped parents and their children in 124 countries. Bears’ best-selling book, “Son-Rise; The Miracle Continues” became an award-winning NBC TV movie. He is also the author of 11 additional books including “Happiness Is A Choice.”
• The formation of two nonprofits (Option Institute International Learning and Training Center and The Autism Treatment Center of America) has provided practical and transformative tools to millions of individuals, families, and children worldwide.
• Bears’ and Samahria Kaufman’s self-designed and unconventional health journey with stage 4 body-wide metastatic cancer (without medical intervention or treatment), defied all odds and the 5-Days To Live prognosis. 21 months later there is no detectable cancer, and his doctors collectively called his recovery “the strangest medical mystery they have seen.” 

What to Expect: 

“5 Days To Live” is more than a recount of remarkable people and remarkable events. It’s an intimate narrative of daring, determination, and resilience even in the face of extreme skepticism by experts and professionals. Bears and Samahria and their authenticity with each other lets the viewer join a world of love, laughter, and humility while defying all conventional odds.

Release and Viewing Details: 

“5 Days To Live” is slated to premiere on February 23, 2024 and will be available for viewing on YouTube. To access the trailers, visit 

About Barry “Bears” Neil Kaufman and Samahria Lyte Kaufman: 

A visionary, author of 12 books, and an advocate for personal and social change, Bears, with his wife Samahria by his side, has impacted the lives of millions of people worldwide with their books, innovative concepts, and programs to help people become happier, and deal with trauma. Their groundbreaking “Son-Rise Program” has enabled parents and their children on the autism spectrum to create new possibilities based on a methodology of total respect, acceptance, and kindness that celebrates limitless human potential.  

SOURCE Option Institute & Fellowship