One day, Jamie began drawing her own diagrams, and soon told her therapist that she wanted to help Sandy present her program. On a cold day in October 1991, 8-year-old Jamie, holding onto Sandy's skirt, spoke to a small group of parents and children at the Winfield Presbyterian Church.

"My name is Jamie Morales," she said nervously. "I celebrated Valentine's Day, Christmas and my birthday without my mom, my uncles and grandfather because they all died of AIDS." She spoke briefly about HIV. By the time she had finished her little speech, all 20 people in the audience were crying.

Word about Jamie's speech soon spread throughout the community and the local media. Soon Jamie was lecturing around the state in schools, churches and community centers.

Seared by her losses, Jamie soon launched her own AIDS awareness program to educate parents and kids about the disease and its impact on living family members. "Everyone may not be infected by the disease, but they are affected," she said.

In 1998, Jamie was awarded a Prudential Spirit Community Award at a gala event in Washington, D.C. Recently, she told her father that as much as she loves him, she would be moving away to college to study exotic animals.

"She never had much of a childhood," said Sandy. "She was forced to grow up very quickly and deal with adult problems of life and death. That is a lot to ask for a little girl of 5."

Soon to graduate from Wichita Falls High School, Jamie is busy working on the decorating committee for prom night. She took a few minutes to reminisce.

"I would give all these awards back in a heartbeat to have my family again," she said. 

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