Educational Media Reviews Online

“Time is precious and so is life”. That in a nutshell sums up the attitude of children at St. Jude’s Hospital in Memphis Tennessee. Dennis Medford teaches there. Every morning Dennis apprehensively walks through the doors of St. Jude’s and picks up the list of students he is to teach that day. The list varies according to the most recent conditions of the young cancer patients at St. Jude’s. Some have not made it through the night while others might be too sick to attend school that day. Yet in spite of serious setbacks caused by needles, meds, radiation and hair coming out, their school and schoolwork is a pillar of normalcy in a really insane world.

“Some people can’t do it. Every morning I get within 2 miles of the school and I want to turn around,” states Dennis. Yet if the young patients must stay, Dennis reminds himself, so can he. Dennis has pictures of costume parties and weddings of former patients. He attends weddings and birthday parties but never funerals. It is his way of coping and being functional for the sake of those whom he teaches.

In 1990 St. Jude’s started a school for cancer patients. There are currently 5 teachers and a few volunteers who teach Kindergarten through elementary grades, and Middle School through High School. The Chemo Ate my Homework is an award winning documentary by Craig Lake, professor at the University of Memphis in Tennessee. Mr. Lake produced documentaries for Tom Brokaw and NBC News.

Clear, crisp, concise, a winner—The Chemo Ate my Homework is highly recommended for quality of production, storyline and technical aspects.

Awards

• Emmy Award, Best Documentary and Best Director
• CINE Special Jury Award, Best Independent Documentary Short