LOVE AND HOPE SHARE A PLACE CALLED HOME.(MAIN)

Byline: PAUL GRONDAHL Staff writer

Barbara and Amanda huddled together in the front row of the movie theater. The 8-year-old best friends leaned in close to each other. Black skin and white skin melded as one. They clutched each other's hands as if they never wanted to let go. Their giggles of anticipation filled the cineplex.

The movie was ``Homeward Bound.'' Barbara and Amanda had been asking to see it for weeks. The Saturday matinee outing offered a glimmer of hope after months of illness for both girls. It was 1993.

Nurses and doctors said it would probably do more good for Barbara and Amanda than anything the medical profession could provide at this point. Let them know a few moments of joy. That was the best anyone could offer.

Sitting there in the front row, they shared a bucket of buttered popcorn and a large …