Comments about the "Dawn's Gift" DVD
 | "I finished showing Dawn's Gift to all 120 of my students yesterday,
and assigned a half page to a full page written essay on their personal
reactions to the video. I wasn't sure some of them could handle it in a
serious and mature way. What I got was so gratifying, it's hard to put into
words. I wish you could read the responses. It has been a significant
emotional event for so many of my kids. They indicated that it changed their
whole attitude toward AIDS. You could see it on their faces that it helped
them look at life much differently. Grading essays is normally an awful
task, but reading these has been wonderful. High School kids are not easy to
inspire anymore, but inspired they were.
Word has gotten out to some of the other students and some have requested to come in and watch it. Dawn's courage and zest for life in the face of AIDS just blew them away, the boys as much as the girls. You probably get feedback like this a lot, but I thought you should know that you are making a big difference for each person that you touch. Kid or adult, they all benefit. I made my wife, the ER Nurse watch it tonight. She reluctantly did and didn't move from the set once it started. She intends to make it required viewing for her entire staff at Allen ER in Waterloo. Yes, it is all about love, and I'll keep trying to tell everybody." --Craig Gingrich, Union High School, La Porte City, Iowa |
| "I have just watched the video and it is hard to find words to
express my emotions.
The second and third sections of the video are simply shattering. The personal stories are gripping, the quilt segments are powerful, the emotion is overwhelming. These are the sections of the video that I plan to use, although I will probably cry every time I see them." --Dr. Larry Farrell, Biology, Idaho State
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| "This is an excellent film that needs to be seen by as many people as possible,
regardless of age, and as quickly as possible. I recommend this film for people of
all ages without reservation." --Dr. Gerald Stine, an internationally recognized source of HIV/AIDS information. He has lectured and written about the HIV/AIDS pandemic since 1981/1982. He has written 11 college level HIV/AIDS textbooks published by Prentice-Hall Inc.; including AIDS Update 1999. Dr. Stine now uses the film on Dawn’s experience to introduce his popular HIV/AIDS course at the University of North Florida. |
| "If you teach Psychology, Sociology, Human Sexuality, Health, or Women/Men's
Studies, this video is for you. I rarely show videos in any of my courses. However, Dawn's
video has become part of my curriculum because it does something no video has ever done:
It hits heterosexual students right where they live. They look at Dawn's vivacious
presence and think, 'It couldn't have happened to her.' And when she opens the top button
on her blouse and exposes the catheter that has been surgically implanted, my students
gasp. If you think that your students have heard it all about AIDS, they need to see this
video. I give it my highest recommendation." --Dr. Baugher, a Psychology Instructor at Highline Community College. He has been teaching the course "Understanding AIDS" for the past 10 years. He is the chair of the AIDS Education Interest Group of the Association for Death Education and Counseling. |
| "I just wanted to let you know that I showed your tape today in my general biology
lectures at Pasadena City College. I have never shown a videotape during the lecture
portion of this course, because our syllabus is so packed that I have never felt justified
in doing so (I normally use the laboratory portion for this). However, after watching your
tape I really believed that my students had a lot to gain from it. We have just finished
our unit on the immune system, so I skipped the AIDS Awareness part, and started with
"Dawn's Gift." In a lecture hall of 100 students there was some chatter
during Kate Schindle's introduction, but this was quickly replaced by absolute silence. My
lecture hall has never been SO quiet. Once Dawn started sharing her experiences, I started
to notice sniffing noises coming from this dark hall of tough kids. The same story in my
second lecture session. Students thanked me afterward for sharing this with them (a
first!), and several asked how they could get a personal copy of the tape for their own
collections. Very, very effective. I'd like to order three more tapes to share with
colleagues at USC, Glendale College, and El Camino College." --Dr. Susan Bower, who has been teaching general biology at colleges in southern California since 1989. She incorporated the tape into her classes as a means of linking the concepts of the immune system and virology to someone that the students can identify with, a real person. |
| "We’ve been using the AIDS video that you’ve produced. It’s
absolutely the best! I can’t tell you how inspirational and very effective it has
been in our training! I want to order nine more copies." --Sandi Lugiewicz, Vice
President for IKON Human Resources, Southwest District. |
| "Thank you again for sending "Dawn's Gift". I showed it to my level one
nursing students today; they have been studying HIV/AIDS for about the last 7 weeks. They
really liked it, found it moving, inspirational, informative, well-produced, and overall
very worth while. They were quite stunned and quiet throughout and all left talking about
their risk factors, what's important in life and the sadness associated with those who
have died due to AIDS. Dawn was beautiful, articulate, generous and strong. My eyes welled
with tears near the end of the video; it was very powerful." --Mary Ellen Bond,
Nursing Coordinator and Instructor, College of the Rockies |
| "I viewed Dawn's video last week and was very moved by it... As an advance nurse practitioner, I felt that this video touched not only the pathophysiology of the disease, but touched upon the emotional impact of AIDS and everyone's vulnerability to it. I have shared this video with several professional colleagues and plan on showing it to all of my RN students. I insisted that my 17 year old college-bound daughter also view it. I told faculty to have a box of tissues handy because it will touch your heart and soul. Bravo!! to Dawn and your family for sharing this personal tragedy which you have orchestrated into a wonderful triumph. I will make this video available to patients too!! Thank you!! Thank you for this beautiful piece of art!! Dawn would be very proud!!" --Janet Myers, MSN, RN, C, Director of Nursing, Colby Community College |
| "Dawn came across as a caring loving woman who loved life. She was
able to, not just accept her death, But make the best of it for others lives
in such an unselfish and generous way. How proud you must be (as well as
your family) to have been able to know her and share Dawn's life (however
brief) and death. Many of us would wither if faced with such an obstacle.
She demonstrated the most loving and courageous approach to her life's
challenge and in a humourous way. Dawn showed the essence of what we humans
should strive for and can become.
I have a daughter who will turn 30 tomorrow and I will show her the video of another young woman who is an excellent role model for anyone. The video is worth seeing; a valuable accounting of a life story and a legacy to remember and contemplate in quite moments. This is when we all are linked to one another." --Diane Clare B.N., R. N., M.Ed.
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| As a 40-yr. old returning college student, one doesn't expect to have many
riveting emotional experiences from a freshmen level health class. Boy was I
proven wrong! Yesterday I saw your video about your daughter Dawn. Let
me preface by saying that I have seen many a movie, television documentary;
read articles in newspapers and magazines -- all on the subject of Aids.
Nothing comes close to your video. It was concise and highly informative on
a subject that I realized I knew very little about.
But the bigger issue and the reason why I felt compelled to write to you is as follows. I can't explain this, but while I watched Dawn speak about Aids and her personal story, I felt a connection at a very deep and personal level. Here was a beautiful young woman with so much promise, faced with a death sentence for committing an innocent act that millions of people commit every day. I was humbled by her energy and enthusiasm. And I was deeply moved by her commitment to reach out to others before its too late for them. When I read the message across the screen telling about her loss of vision and bone fractures, it crushed me. (The tears are welling up again as I write this to you.) And then when the words came across the screen of her death, I felt exactly as if my best friend had died. My eyes welled up with tears in class -- the emotions were so overwhelming. I have never experienced anything like this in my life. I am not an emotional person. My own family members have passed away and I have been the pillar of calm and collectiveness. But your video tore my heart out. The rest of the day, I could barely function. My husband and children kept asking if there was something wrong with me. I tried to function normally, but after about four hours, I couldn't handle it anymore. I found a quiet spot in my house and cried my eyes out. I cried for the pain that I can't even fathom Dawn went through both emotionally and physically. I cried for her strength and beauty in the face of death. I cried for her courage to speak out and attempt to educate the people around her. I cried for you and the terrible pain of losing a child. And I cried for your incredible strength and courage to turn such a horrific experience into a positive situation -- your video. I wanted to write to you and thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing your story with us. Dawn's spirit lives on and so does her story of courage and sacrifice. Thank you. |
| "Today I had the golden opportunity to preview the video that you
sent to me--Dawn's gift etc. It is absolutely a beautiful testimony of life,
love, purpose, as well as a reality check for many. We have a course on this
campus that 90% of our students take. I am going to recommend that it be
shown to every class. I am sending payment today to you for my copy and we
may be ordering more."
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| "I would just like to thank you for sharing your daughter's story
with me. I watched her video in my Microbiology class and have not been able
to think of anything since. I now realize that I did not know nearly as much
about AIDS as I thought I did."
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| "Everyone was very moved, tears were shed, and people asked me to
thank you for the work you're doing in getting out the word and continuing
on with Dawn's message."
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| "The information is accurate, sensitive, personal and very emotionally
powerful!" |
| "What a wonderful and needed gift your Daughter--and you--have provided for all of
us." |
| "You could have heard a pin drop." |
| "It is a wonderful., informative, and extremely touching video, and I think that it
works well as a three-segment set." |
| "Dawn was right on-'It’s All About Love'. Thank you for caring." |
| "I think that your mission to get the video out is a wonderful thing, a necessary
thing. Dawn’s gift is just that." |
| "Wow, what a powerful message! I could not hold back the tears." |
| "I really enjoyed the video. It was so emotional and really makes you think.
It does a lot more than the other AIDS videos I've seen."--12th
grader, Spokane, WA |
| Dawn Beckhols, in all sense of the word, was and still is a hero. --15 year old, Edora, Ontario |
| I almost cried. It showed me that my problems are really nothing. --16 year old, Edora, Ontario |
| It was incredible. I could almost feel what it would be like to have AIDS. --8th grader, Kent, WA |
| It showed me that you have the choice of whether or not you are going to live in
happiness or in misery. --8th grader, Kent, WA |
| It made me think about how good my life really is. She is an awesome role model. --16 yr old, Edora Ontario |