Personal Writing: My Friend's Death From AIDS While thinking about an important event that became a turning point in my life, my thoughts were drawn to the death of an old family friend, I'll call Jim. Jim's death from AIDS has made me think about life and how important it is to be aware of such a deadly disease. Funding for research and education about the AIDS disease should be a top priority for everyone. Ten years ago nobody knew what Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome was. AIDS is a poorly understood disease -- poorly understood by scientists, politicians and many of us. As the 20th century comes to an end, I fear that many more people will di