Immerse yourself in the insights, uncomfortable realities and experience offered by documentary filmmaker, Lance Kearse, in his film, The Monster Within.
This is a documentary about truth, resilience, and survival in the face of a hidden condition that nearly ended an athletic career before it began.
The Monster Within follows Lance Kearse’s journey from growing up in Fort Myers, Florida to the heights of Division I basketball at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), professional play overseas, and even an NFL training camp invite, all while battling the invisible weight of sickle cell trait.
Along the way, he endured hospitalizations, misdiagnoses, and prescriptions that masked symptoms instead of uncovering the real cause. At one point, doctors told him he would never play sports past the age of 19.
That fate was broken. By turning to a whole-food, plant-based diet, embracing daily sunbathing, and living by the Seven Natural Doctors—sun, water, air, sleep, diet, exercise, and stress management—he rebuilt his body and reclaimed his career.
Through candid interviews with coaches, teammates, doctors, family, and fellow athletes, the documentary exposes the flaws in a system that prioritizes performance over people and profit over prevention. At its core, it is not just a sports story, it is a story about health, identity, and reclaiming power through nature’s wisdom.
The Monster Within reveals the cycle of misdiagnosis and mismedication while offering a message of hope: that prevention, awareness, and natural healing can turn what feels like a curse into strength.
This is more than a documentary. It is a call to rethink health, protect athletes, and empower the next generation with knowledge that saves lives.