Dawn Anna on AllMovie

Debra Winger made a rare television appearance in this emotional made-for-cable drama, based on a true story. Dawn Anna Townsend (Winger) is a single mother who has made the most of a sometimes difficult life -- despite raising four children alone on a teacher's salary, she loves her family, enjoys her work, and finds time to coach the school's volleyball team as well as start a new romance. However, Dawn Anna is handed an even greater challenge when she's diagnosed with a brain tumor; while surgery saves her life, she can no longer speak or walk, and must learn to do these things all over again. With the help of her loved ones, Dawn Anna bucks the odds and teaches herself to lead a normal life again, but another tragedy is waiting for her around the corner.