The Dawn Has Come
After her husband BJ died of AIDS, Debbi was comforted by the saying:"Death is not extinguishing the light; it is putting out the candle because the dawn has come."
The dawn came for Debbi, much sooner than we expected. In 1995, Debbi was diagnosed with AIDS. We were aware of her illness and that she would probably succumb to AIDS some day.... That is not what happened. Instead Debbi died suddenly in a car accident in North Carolina on Saturday, February 24, 1995.
I "met" Debbi on the bulletin board service, Computerized AIDS Ministries, better known as CAM. When she came to the BBS, she was raw over the death of her husband.
In October 1993, Debbi wrote:
As a widow of a person with AIDS who died, I had felt isolated in my grief. CAM has been a God-send. I have been welcomed with open arms and many hugs by the wonderful people on here... from those currently living with AIDS, to the parents who have lost sons or daughters to AIDS, to the partners who have lost their mates to AIDS, to the clergy and young people, and adults who---although not infected with the virus---have been impacted somehow by AIDS.
I was glad that the community of CAM could assist her. She also gave a lot to CAM, through her participation as a member and as a forum operator. In addition, she would sometimes share some of her writing. One day she posted a very moving piece called "I Wear a Red Ribbon". I worked with her so that we could publish it in one of our HIV/AIDS Ministries Focus Papers (#25). Since its publication and distribution, first through AEGIS and then on this web site, unnumbered people have been touched by Debbi's testimony and inspired to do AIDS education and ministry in the tradition of one of her favorite scriptures Matthew 25.
Debbi was very active in the last days of her life. Earlier in February, she had been a part of "24 Hours in Cyberspace". On Friday, February 23, the day before her death, I saw that they had posted a photo essay about her. I wrote to her on CAM, congratulating her but she never got the message. That message and others to her on CAM, sit today, the day after her death--reminders she was alive only a few hours ago....
Debbi liked hearts, so I include a heart which declares "God Is Love." Debbi, you are in the fullness of God's love now. The dawn has come...
Nancy A. Carter
February 25, 1996
