HIV/AIDS DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE!
There are only three ways one can contract HIV: through unprotected sex with someone who is infected, through blood(sharing of needles), or by mother to child transmission.
I would like to dedicate this page to the bravest of the warriors of this disease ~~ the children ~~ the precious young lives which must, through no fault of their own, live with this disease.
Some of these little warriors are still alive. They will be represented with a red ribbon next to their names. When you see these red ribbons, please stop, and say a prayer that these children may survive.
The little warriors who have not survived this disease, will be represented with a lit candle. Know that these children were someone's children, they laughed and they cried, they played with their friends, they went to school, they spent months in hospitals, they wrapped their little arms around their parents necks and said, "I love you", and eventually, they died.
I have used pseudonyms for all of the children, for it is not important WHO they are or were, but that they existed ~ they breathed and they lived and some have died of AIDS - related illness.
~ HOPE ~
Hope was 13 years old when she died. She required a blood transfusion at age 6 as the result of a car accident. Three years later, she developed PCP and was diagnosed with AIDS.
Hope's parents chose not to tell her she had AIDS until shortly before she died.
Hope was an "A" student, loved sports, and did well at them until she became too weak to play her favourite: basketball and baseball. She also loved to crochet. She made little crochet angels one year, and gave them to children in a hospital at Christmas time.
Hope has one brother, a year older, who continues to have a difficult time accepting his sister's death
~ CHRISTOPHER ~
Christopher was the adopted son of my friends, Sandra and Bill. He was diagnosed with AIDS shortly after his adoption became final. He brought hours of laughter to our hearts during his short stay with us. Although he was sick most of his short life, Christopher always seemed to have a smile for anyone who took the time to speak or sing to him. He died Christmas night at the age of 16 months.
~ JOEY ~
Joey was diagnosed HIV+ at the age of 4. His mother is also HIV+. His father died of AIDS related illness.
Joey is now 9 years old, and does most things children his age, do. He loves to go camping, play baseball, collect baseball cards, spends hours playing Nintendo with his friends.
Both, Joey and his mother are doing well on medications.
Joey tells only his "closest friends" that he has HIV.
~ HELEN ~
Helen's birth mother was an IV drug user. She was placed for adoption along with her three siblings. She was the only child to test HIV+.
Helen has struggled with the medications, but it appears that AZT is working for her now.
During a recent conversation with me she told me she has "almost a zillion T-4 Cells!" Actually, her count is more like 800.
Helen is now 11 years old. She plans on becoming a Veterinarian when she grows up.
~ STEPHANIE ~
Stephanie and her sister and brother were placed in their adoptive homes only a week before their mother, "Jane" died last week.
Like so many others, "Jane" did not know she was HIV+ until after she'd given birth to her children. Stephanie is now two years old.
She has done okay on liquid AZT
I wish you well with your new mommy and daddy, Stephanie.
~ ADAM ~
Adam is Stephanie's brother. He is three years old.
Adam has not done as well as his sister. Over the last year, he has lost weight, and appears to be developmentally delayed, as the result of AIDS.
Adam has already had several trips to the hospital for AIDS related illnesses. Adam's prognosis is not good. Please remember him in your prayers. I love you, Adam.
~ AISHA ~
Aisha was born testing HIV+. She struggled with illness after illness before her death in 1997.
Aisha's mother died a week later.
Aisha was 4 when she died.
~ JADE~
Jade was 2 when she died of PCP (AIDS-related pneumonia). She lived on a reserve in northern Ontario. Her parents are both infected with HIV, and are doing well.
~ CODY ~
Cody was infected through blood transfusion during heart surgery in 1984, when he was 6 months old. He is lucky, as he has never experienced any symptoms.
Cody continues to live a normal life, doing everything that all 15 year olds do.
He is concerned about dating, however, as most of his friends do not know he is HIV+. He is afraid girls won't want to date him because of this.
~ CINDY ~
Cindy was a young girl who heard me speak in her community. About a year later I received a phone call from her, telling me she was now living in Toronto. She asked if we could meet to talk.
We met in my kitchen that afternoon. Cindy told me her story of having been sexually abused by an uncle for years. Afraid no one would believe her, she ran away from home and became one of the thousands of homeless youth marking the streets of Toronto.
Cindy managed to get a live-in babysitter position within days of arriving in Toronto, telling her employer she was 17. What Cindy didn't tell her was that she was pregnant, and with her uncle's child.
The doctor at the walk in clinic tested her for everything when she discovered she was pregnant.
Her HIV Antibody test came back reactive!
This doctor told Cindy she had no choice other than to have an abortion. Otherwise she would be responsible for giving AIDS to a child. Not knowing any different, Cindy had the abortion.
Her phone call to me came less than a week after the procedure. She was filled with guilt for having "killed the baby whom she named 'Joseph' after her father".
Cindy and I spent hours together over the next few months. I tried to help her understand that she did not "kill" anyone, that the doctor gave her bad advice, and that it was possible that she could live a long, long time with HIV. I tried to encourage her to phone her parents to let them know she was okay. We spoke daily on the phone, and met with each other about twice a week for the next few months.
I was in the process of doing interviews for a national HIV+ women's newsletter. Cindy wanted me to interview her, with the understanding that a pseudonym would be used. She was so afraid of bringing shame to her family and community! She hoped that by telling her story, other young girls being sexually abused would realize that they, too, could become HIV infected this way.
I phoned her the day the newsletter was printed.
She was so happy....So proud that she may be doing something for other young people suffering sexual abuse. She promised me she would contact her family that weekend, to tell them she was okay. She decided not to tell them about the abortion or about being HIV positive. She wasn't ready for that yet.
That weekend I was attending an HIV+ women's conference in Montreal. While there, I received a phone call telling me that Cindy suicided.
I attended her funeral.Her family and I had a Circle afterwards. She had written them a letter explaining that she had been sexually abused by her uncle (without naming him) and that she had tested positive and did not want to bring shame to the family.
All of Cindy's aunts and uncles attended that Circle. I knew that the uncle who had sexually abused her and infected her was amongst them. Only he knew who he was.
Later that night, I received a call from the uncle. He told me he was the uncle responsible for her death. He did not even know he was HIV+! We spoke about the importance of him seeking help in dealing with his need to sexually abuse children(Cindy was not the only child he abused), and to seek medical attention for his HIV infection.
Since Cindy never once named him to me, I did not feel it was my place to do so. I left it up to him and the Creator to disclose what he had done.
I agonized over this decision for days.
About a month later, I received a call from Cindy's mother, telling me that he had admitted to the family that he was responsible.
To date, none of the other children he sexually abused have tested positive. The family chose not to prosecute him. He is now in therapy.
Cindy died when she was 14 years old.
~ BRIAN~
Brian was the youngest of two children born to my friend and her husband. Shortly after his birth, Brian was diagnosed HIV+. It was at this time that his mother also found out she was HIV+. Her husband and older daughter continue to test negative.
Brian was a beautiful little boy with blonde curly hair and bright blue eyes. He suffered a lot during his short life, with one illness after another. He finally succombed at the age of 21 months. His mother continues to be in fairly good health, and is an advocate for mothers with HIV+ children.
~ BRITTANY ~
Brittany is the eldest of four children. Her mother tested positive when Brittany was 7 year old. The other three children, including the youngest two who were breast fed babies, tested negative; yet, Brittany, the eldest tested positive. This was very unusual. Brittany is now ten years old and continues to be in good health and does not yet require any medication. She is unaware of her diagnosis.
IT IS WITH SUCH RELIEF THAT I AM ABLE TO SAY THAT THIS COMPLETES THE NAMES OF THE CHILDREN THAT I PERSONALLY KNOW OR KNEW WHO WALKED THIS PATH WITH ME. IT IS MY HOPE THAT I NEVER HAVE TO DO AN UPDATE ON THIS PAGE.
AIDS MEMORIAL
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