The Los Angeles Times

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Having faced great loss with the death of his young son to AIDS, Joe Stern-McGovern, global agent and President of Universal Artists, International in partnership with Shaka Productions has taken a stand against the modern plague through vigorous and tireless dedication by providing partial proceeds of company sales to various causes, and writing about his own personal loss.

In 2007, young Kenneth, son and eldest child of Joe Stern-McGovern fell ill with a virulent strain of HIV he contracted while participating in an exchange student program overseas. When Kenneth returned to the US, he was already advancing into the final stages of his life.

By the close of the year, Kenneth's illness had progressed into AIDS. While working hard to cover the costs of Kenneth's hospice care and other medical bills, Joe Stern-McGovern failed to be at his son's side when he died at the age of 20 years old, one day shy of his 21st birthday.

Haunted by his absence in the final hours of his son's death, Joe Stern-McGovern wrote the following poem to express his grief and disbelief.

 

Never to Dream
 
My child whose died
I wait for you, come back to life
I wander through this empty house
All by myself
The blackest night
Without the moon up in the sky
No light for these old photographs
As I wander through the past
There is no peace in the night
My son is lost, my spirits down
There is no love in the dark
My entire world has lost its light
Such tragedy
I can't escape and all is blind
I cry each night
My son, my child has died of AIDS
With things to do
He died alone
While I was away
It's time now
Draw the window blinds
Be strong for him
I say I'm fine
A future he will never know
And with his death so went my soul
Friend, I know
That what we had in years were dreams
My son, lie still
I tried to change it all
And while I'm fine
My child lies dead
And I think I'll never dream again

With the publishing of this poem, Joe Stern-McGovern felt such an incredible sense of duty to help others who might experience similar feelings of grief, and sought to donate partial proceeds of the sales of future Universal Artists, International's CD albums to various AIDS charities worldwide.

If you are interested in finding out how you can help Kenneth, Joe Stern-McGovern, and Universal Artists, International help combat the plague of HIV/AIDS, please visit your local or favorite charity and make a donation in the name of Kenneth and for a good cause and a disease which requires larger measures of education, research, tolerance, and funding.

You may also visit the Universal Artists, International's sitee directly for future links to their personal choice of charity at www.universalartists.net.

Jay Bonano, Freelance
www.thelosangelestimes.net