right now on news 4 this week, a blow with a basebalat fractured his skull but couldn't shatter his will. afamily'story of recovery. plus, a lesson in life-long learning i we gonside the local program connecting seniors with schoolkids. and if you ever find yourself with nothing to wear, we're working for you, breaking down the pros and cons of wardrobe rental companies. >> announcer: welcome to news 4 this week. hello, everyone. i'm.eon harr this weekend, one of the oldest and largest film festivals ofs ind is underway in washington. the d.c. environmental film stival features more than 100 films. and news 4's barbara harrison previews some the movies that you can see in venues all across the district. >> riveting.

>> that's really scary. >> real. >> if we lose the elephant -- >> life. >> hey, hey, hey! >> drama that will leave you on the edge of your seat. sound like an ad box office thriller. these are some of the scenes fromarhis informative fare at the film festival here gn washington, d.c.. >> we're enter our 27th year. it's the longest running environmental film if he ffesti the united states. >> many of this year's fair focuses on people as they face environmental challenges around the world. shark water extinction is a spell-binding tale that follows rob stewart to expose the $1 billion shark fin industry. >> he tragically passed away during a dive on this film project. soaris pents continue to

produce the film. >> reporter: "the river and the wall," bound to spike lively debate ding the conversation that always follows each of the film's screenings at the festival. >> the film takes on the issue of the wall separatingd texico anhe united states, but it does so in the context of, how would it affect the environment in that area. how would it affect the ecology. how would it affect the wildlife? >> there are no guide books. >> reporter: and another thriller comes from filmmakers ben and lori benson. "the lost city of the monkey god." >> there's been a rumored lost city that we've heard about for a long typical. >> reporter: the film tracks an expedition that after generations of failed and deadly attempts uses new-age technology to try to find the lost city. >> i've had too many nt disappoints. >> reporter: do they find it? >> you'll have to come t a screening to find out. >> reporter: this year's festival features a local filmmaker, ron patel.

>> i've been here for about two years. is>> reporter: he took interest in the world's dwindling elephant population all t way to myanmar to do a three-part film on saving them from poaching and eventual iextinction. e thought about it for years, and every year i'm like, that's really scary. >> reporter: it's called free solo. the winner of the 2019 oscar for best documentary. it's also an entry in this festival. >> it focuses on alex honnell, who is a rock climber. he free climbed the 3,000 rock face of el captain in yosemite national park. >> it's the opening night film, but it's bound to keep wanting people to come back for more. >> even though you know the ending to the film, it is absolutely thrilling. >> barbara harrison, news 4, washington.. >> the d environmental film festival runs through march 24th. there e 25 different locations where you can see the films. many of the events are free.

so if you check out the f schedule, you'd it in -- if you open up the nbc washington app and search "fil festival." changing the world, one child at time. that's the lofty goal of an organition called grand involved. it sends senior citizens into school to help students. the seniors are learning this program ishaing their world, too. >> reporter: marwan ball holls andparents live an ocean away in morocco, but he gets his grand fixvery week when mike fox drops into his fifth grade classroom. fox is nearly one of 160 fairfax senior who volunteer a grand involved. launched as five years ago, it has placed seniors in 18t differ schools, a primary focus, helping second language learning children. >> i love children. i'm work with a excambodian gir

who was practically mute. she was so quiet. and now she's a ball of fire. >> reporter: this morning, four lunteers all helping out with thei assigned classrooms. >> this is what it's divided by. >> reporter: jean baken has beee coming for tears now. >> i know they talk to me agsut thin that they don't talk to him about. so i know i'm coming to fill a need in manof their lives. >> reporter: the program gets no county funding, but was started when elected leaders asked retires what would keep thee in county. the answer, they wanted intergenerational programs and other exposures to other countries. >> is it's really purposeful volunteering. >> as she reads a book about trumpeter swans, mary mcclellan takes time tohow the girls the birds' big wingspan. but the kids will tell you it's the relationship they value as much as the learning. >> mr. fox is a nice and kind

m man. he likes meeting with kids individually because he likes to know them better. >> it's nice to be with someone older, because i t jusnk she's wise. >> reporter: and the seniors entertained with some of t questions they get from the kids zp . >> i have white hai once i'm 100? in fairfax county, j i'mie carrie, news 4. up next, d.a.'s troubd.c.'s troubled va medical center rushing to meet a deadline. ♪

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merry weather post pavilion is expanding its repertory. the soulful symphony out of baltimore will become theirnt resi orchestra. 50 years ago, as joust planned columbia, he envisioned an orchestra playing at the

outdoor pavilion. a fixture on the national mall is ready for a facelift. this is the new visi the sculpture garden that sits outside the hirschhorn museum. they wpat to use this to create a front door for the museum. it would be the first renovation to he sculpture garden sin the '80s. a random attack changed a family's life in unimaginab ys. ahead, dorene gentzler brings us their story of persever ace. >> we ha beautiful life before, we have a beautiful life now. we have a very different sense about ourselves and what's important.

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a young couple's relationship is truly tested when a violent attack leaves a man ounable walk or talk. his wife found herself caring for a man who seemed like a stranger. the recovery has been long and it's been sdifficult, but news 4's dorene gentzler shows us, the experienceou left thise grateful for love and for life.

>> ah, good luck with that. >> reporter: if you saw theg walkown the street together, you might think, what a beautiful family. and you'd be right. but there is so much more to this family's story than that. >> police are working on a timeline in that beating case of a man on capitol ll. >> reporter: six and a half years ago, t.c.mazlan was attacked and robbed as he walked home from a game. a traumatic brain injury nearly killed him, but instead left him unable to talk o or walk use the right side of his body. our hearts ached. >> i'm really doing a lot better. >> we met tc a abbey about six months later. his hospital stay was over. and abbey had left h tching job behind to take care of his medical care and intensive therapy and their 2-year-old son, jack. it was overwhelming, but ty

were determined. >> there he is! >> hi. >> this is t.c. anma today. >> the injury itself is not always evident to peop. it's sort of -- what's the term i was trying to say. n''s an invisible injury, because you wou see me walking down the street, but if you listen to me or sit with me for long or not, you might catch it eventually. >> reporter: after years of therapy and intensive effort, he's back at work as his former position as annt environ analyst, a huge victory. his first goal was just reading to his son. >> you know, i saw the value of having a son, having my wife, having my health. and i just kepthe my eyes on prize of getting back to that. >> reporter: and abbey was right there with him. >> if i hadn't kept the idea in

my heart that this was possible, i don't know that we would be here. i think the hope is what has kept us working so tirelessl over all of these years. >> reporter: their son was important to recovery, too. >> yeah, jack has been a light throughout the entire journey. he was the constant reminders that life gon, that life is vibrant, that there is light in the world during really, really dark days. >> reporter: jax, an energetic 8-year-old now who looks just like his dad. and he has a charming little sister no rosie is 2 1/2, sharing smiles and joy in abundance. the mazlans are living back in their old capitol hill neighborhood. abbey is a teaching the elementary school she left years ago. and she's written a b their experience. >> this is a book about brain injury, but it's a book for anyone who had to reinvent their

life, who had a plan. >> reporter: abbey describes the terrible shock of tc's injury, the ain of the longrecovery, but especially, the emotional journey for all of them. abbey's book is called "love yog hard," somettc said to her when he couldn't find the right word. >> i look into his eyes, stunned to silence. tc's broken language has punctured the heart of the matter. love ihard. there'o way i save this pmarriage if i kee comparing tc to t b person weh lost. it is time to stop sitting submerged in my grief and start conquering it instead. and if i can find a way to genuinely and profoundly love the new tc, i'll have done more than just save my marriage. i'll have transformed myself in the process. >> reporter: how do you feel reading that out loud, saying that stuff out loud? >>ah it's still true. it will always be true. >> it's tibel. it really is beautiful, yeah. >> yeah.

i just love you that much. i really do. >> i know. >> reporter: dorene gentzler. >> it's so good to see how far . has co abbey's book, "love you hard," is on store shelves fw. the criminal case, three men were convicted in that attack on tc mazlan o was kikted to 24 years in prison for assault and robbery. > many inadvertence who are having trouble walking or standing are still making long walks to the medical center. a news 4 investigation revealed a parking shortage there. va officials promised a solution by march.aj a new garage. as scott mcfarlane reports, the vets are still waiting and still walking. >> reporter: for nearly six months, we've watched, veteran after veteran, patient after patient searching for a treasured parking spot at the flagship mical center at the

u.s. department of verans affair. >> sometimes if i have a noon apartment, i will leave here by 8:00. reporter: 8:00 in the morning? >> yes. >> reporter: including jonathan warwick, who strugwaes to. he found a spot, but he had to climb a hill in the parking lot as a shortcut for a hike that's nearly a quarter mile to thece entr you just had two hips replaced, you have a fractured spine. did it occur to you, i shouldn't be walking this far to get to my doctor? >> nah sense, yeah, i shouldn't have to be walking thatfa r. >> reporter: the medical center has long been notoriously short on parking spaces for its nearly 100,000 patients. and recent construction has shrunk it fuher. administrators offer shuttles to carry vets and staff to a separate satellite l off the grounds. and late last year, the new medical center director told the i-team a new garage would open in march 2019, adding hundreds of new spacenear the entrance. is that thing going to be ready in march? >> it better will be ready in march.

will be very upset if it's not. it's on track right now. tonight, it'sas of not ready. administrators updated their timetable saying they plan to complete work march 31st and open april 1st. but they acknowledge they'll need shuttles insidehe rage, because elevators won't be ready until late in the year. the i-team found a construction dumpster recently blocking maveral of the ing parking spaces. when they asked the d.a. about it, they told us they found a new location for that construction debris. treks meantime, the long and the wait continue. >> it's bee so long that they're building this parking lot. >> reporter: for veterans like jonathan warwick who are fight a different type of battle toth s r doctors. scott mcfarlane, news 4. >>alet service is offered at the medical center, but vets tell us not everyone can use it. ele wait can be long especially with wairs and scooters to unload and load. we'll keep you posted to see if the va meets that deadline to open up that garage by the start of next month. coming up, a look at the

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every day at the office, it can be a struggl to figure out what to wear. and that worry is a booming buness these days. news 4 consumer reporter susan hogan shows us how services like rent the runway are giving people designer makeovers for much less than you'd >>expect. eporter: "vogue," "instyle," "glamour," we love the clothes. we justan't afford them. or can we? >> the coffmanco fran christian eriano, moni littlier. >> this is rent the runway and olutionizing how we think about clothes. >> these are everyday pieces. go for something like this for your next event. it's awesome for y.matern we have everything for every step of the way. >> reporter: it's all affordable. he's how it works. choose from these two plans. update gets you four items per

nth for $89 or pay $159 for unlimited. then go in, pick out what y want, scan, and go. so from every day to maternity to even the big e day. >>ve brides come in with their bridesmaids with their mothers, with their fute mothers-in-law, and we have an option for pretty much everyone. >> reporter: daniel roen from d.c. says yes to sparkly dress at rent the runway in georgetown. the quick option allowed roen to capture this moment wh her dad. a quick option, a quick dance, and aorever treasured moment. susan hogan, news 4. >> other similar services include gwynni bee, armoire, and maiafleur. rent the runway has an actual

store so you can go in and try on the clothes before you rent them. and we want to wish a very special day to virginia lauren. this week, virginia celebrated her 110th birthday. rember this beautiful face? she visited president obama and the first lady when she was 106. remember that scene? she was so excited during the visit. rginia started dancing with the obamas. mclauren was born in bouth carolik in 1909 and moved to d.c. in 1941. michelle obama didn't forget about virginia's birthuty. she senthis tweet today saying, still dancing at 110 years old. happy birthday, virginrt. happy ay, indeed. that's all now for news 4 this week. i'm leonharris. thanks for joining us. have a great week.

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>> announcer: "news 4 today" starts now. a nation in shock. this morning, a suspected mass shooter is in custody, accused in the most horrific attack on innocent lives that new zland has ever seen. how the rest of the world is mourning wh that smallnation. developing overnight back here at home, a d.c. police officer rushed to the hospital in a squad car after getting hit by another car. more onhe scramble to track down the driver who took off. plus, a brutal murder case that spans across maryland and virginia. a teen's family says he could not escape a violent gang. this morning, these five alleged ms-13 gang members are charged with killi