About the Book and its Author
About the book
In Heart of a Stuntman, Hollywood veteran Kevin Ball recounts his remarkable journey from film and TV sets to real-life drama in Cambodia, Vietnam, Kenya, Kosovo, Peru, Thailand, Guatemala, Dubai, and India. Recruited by Cindy McCain--who wrote the Foreword for the book--Kevin and his Hollywood colleague, John Evanko, applied their skills to supporting NGOs such as Freedom Fields USA, Operation Smile, World Journey of Smiles, The HALO Trust, International Health Emissaries, and the World Food Program.
Here is a taste of what Kevin Ball offers readers:
- Cambodia is one of the most heavily mined locations on the planet. Clean water wells, medical facilities, and schools are often accessible only by a small foot path leading directly through a live landmine field. Deviation from these paths can lead to maiming or death. If not for advocates like Freedom Fields USA, and the hands-on work of demining groups like The HALO Trust, the remains of war will continue to lie inches below the fertile soil, indiscriminately waiting to attack.
- A snowy runway in Kosovo, still pockmarked by war, accepted us onto its frozen tarmac. Littering the country, unexploded cluster bombs still threatened the citizens daily. The HALO Trust was in a desperate battle with the elements and with international governing voices to clear this deadly refuge of war before another child's life was tragically cut short. With Cindy McCain at our side, we were on a mission to reveal these truths.
- The hidden village of K'ekchi' Indians, deep in the jungles of Guatemala and accessible only by a small boat, was desperate for dental care. International Health Emissaries invited us to help reach these people, spotlighting a frightening reality: When you can't eat due to decaying teeth, you suffer a slow death of malnutrition. The dentists of IHE saved them.
- Facial deformities and cleft palates afflict millions annually across the globe, but in rural areas of India, steeped in mythological lore, these abnormalities can be deemed a curse by the gods, bringing shame to a family and leaving children locked away for life. Operation Smile chose Guwahati, India, a place seldom visited international medical teams, to be a hub for free facial surgeries, giving thousands of men, women and children new lives and new smiles.
About the author
Kevin Ball found his way into the humanitarian world because he felt the need for change. Hollywood’s materialistic temperament was wearing on him. His career as a professional stuntman spanned over thirty years, and it helped to prepare his mind and body for the hurdles of filming NGOs in developing nations, as well as giving him years of experience, both in front of and behind the camera. Kevin decided to take his skills and advocate for those doing great things in the name of humanity. Since his first trip in 2007 to the K-5 mine belt in Cambodia with “Freedom Fields USA” and the international humanitarian demining group, “The HALO Trust,” he hasn’t looked back. To present, Kevin has had boots on the ground supporting NGOs in over thirty-five countries and has worked with the “World Food Program,” “Operation Smile,” “The HALO Trust,” International Health Emissaries,” “GUA Africa,” “Global Action for Children,” and more. Acting as the personal film crew for Cindy McCain on her global humanitarian missions, Kevin, with the assistance of his stunt buddy, John Evanko, accompanied her to South East Asia to document segments to be used during John McCain’s run for Presidency of the United States in 2008. They then continued to travel with her, documenting her benevolent actions. Kevin’s soapbox message, which he preaches often, is that “Humanity is simple one hand reaching out to help another hand in need, nothing more, nothing less”. With this message as his guiding light, he continues to speak out in the darkness and be a voice for those silenced by unfortunate worldly circumstances and those just trying to do what is right.