Jewel is a 2001 television drama film directed by Paul Shapiro, based on the book of the same name by Bret Lott.
In 1945, Jewel Hilburn (Farrah Fawcett), 39, and her husband Leston (Patrick Bergin), 41, are living in poverty in rural Mississippi, and raising their four children: Raylene (Rachel Skarsten), Burton (Kyle Fairlie), Wilman (Max Morrow), and Annie (Alexis Vandermaelen).
He tells Jewel and Leston that Brenda Kay has Down syndrome, and recommends placing her in an institution with other children with the condition, as she would be a huge burden on them and the rest of the family.
The injections are expensive, but the Hilburns manage to pay for them, even when times get tougher after Leston loses his job.
The kids sell the vegetables the family grows, Raylene quits school and gets a job, and Jewel takes on sewing work.
Except Raylene, who gets married and stays in Mississippi, the Hilburns relocate to Los Angeles to reunite with Burton, now working at a garage.
Leston finds work, and Brenda Kay enrolls in the school, run by director Nathan White.
White recommends a group home for adults with Down Syndrome, where Brenda Kay will learn to live independently from Jewel's over-protective care.