Reflections...

From my local school, I have gathered a random selection of five students who have not heard of Claire. I gave them an overall breakdown of the videos and asked if I could study their reaction and reflections. They saw the films "My Last Days" and "Remembering Claire" This is what each student had to say about her.

Kate Osmundson - Sophomore at Lake High School

Meet Kate Osmundson. She is a student at Lake High School and is involved in the student council for her graduating class. Kate was asked upon myself to watch the following video's and her feelings towards Claire were very inspiring. She said " It was so interesting to see someone who had so little time left to live and did so much with her life." In the video, "My Last Days," Claire showed her audience her hospital room that filled the walls with creativity and hope. Kate's biggest takeaway was how even in a hospital room. She managed to fill the room with so much life. I asked Kate what she would say to viewers in the future who will follow her story. She said "look at the message, she's like a character in a movie. A lot of people don't think that it's someones reality when it is actually."

Tayler Willey - Junior at Lake High School

Meet Tayler Willey. Tayler is a student at Lake and is involved in the mentoring program. She says the whole concept is to live life to the fullest. She was put on this earth to do the same thing. She says "She can really help people who also have CF, I can relate to her in a way. She didn't let her illness get to her." I asked her what she would tell her other viewers who view the links. She said "Realize that life is not bad. It is in the moment. Life truly does get better and Claire showed us that".

Calista Cummins - Junior at Lake High School

Meet Calista. Calista has been a fellow colleague of mine for many years. She is involved in so many extra circulars and talking with her has been a very humbling experience. As I met with Calista, she was extremely moved by the project. She said "This video has made me more thankful for lungs. I am very grateful for this life now." She also mentioned how this has brought CF to her attention and that people need to raise the conversations more and talk about this. She mentions that this has helped her in many different ways, including her perspective on life in general.

Lastly, I had the privilege to interview a teacher at Lake High School. Meet Luisa Gunther

Mrs. Gunther is a Spanish teacher at Lake High School and is involved in the Spanish Club. Her spirit is joyful and passionate about her work. She loves to teach and watch people grow through her classes. After she watched the video's about Claire. It almost put her to tears. Here is what she had to say.

"I was deeply moved by the life of Claire Wineland. I have been blessed with good health and the health of my family. It is very hard to imagine the pain that this girl and her family have experienced, yet in the midst of it all, she found a way to find an exuberant joy and inspire those around her. She encouraged those who suffered, comforted her parents, explored and learned about everything she loved. And she loved. She loved her family, she loved her friends and she loved those that lived with CF. She did not spend her time lamenting, instead she took action and created a foundation to help those affected by the disease. She used her gifts for the good of others, giving speeches, writing, sharing her experience. She is an inspiration for us all to learn that no matter how young or old we are, not matter how hard our situation, there is always a way to live fully, to give and to love. 'And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.'” (1 Cor 13:13)

The moral of this project was an effort to create awareness. I wanted to get involved in the community and hope to change a few perspectives.