It's World AIDS Day 2010
It it amazing to me that we are in 2010 and still having days like this... days to bring awareness to open the eyes of people that do not know. Do not know the severity of this illness in it's ability to take out entire generations of people.
Yet when managed properly just a chronic illness.
The crazy thing is that this illness is 100% preventable.
100%
If condoms were used during sex, needles were not shared during drug use... all would be well.
There are other causes of transmission, such as mother to child during child birth if medication is not used, or mother to child in breast milk...but it still goes back to the first 2 causes.
There is still the need for education.
What makes me the most sad is stigma involved with those that have the illness. We are not secretive about E's status as an hiv+ child. But we do not shout it from the mountain tops either. We have not disclosed at his school. We want him to be known for who he is, and the amazing child that he is, not for some virus in his system that cannot harm them. Although, since we are having World AIDS day, there are still people... educated, smart, compassionate people, that just do not know the facts.
We volunteer with an organization called Project HOPEFUL and they have started the Truth Pandemic campaign.
Today we remember the littlest victims of this thing called HIV/AIDS. The orphans that wait for a mother and father to love them. The problem is that many of them may not have long to wait. Many of them may not live long enough to know the love of a family. Because of lack of medication and stigma still associated with their illness.
Will you take a moment to say a prayer for these children. Will you consider sponsoring one until their family can come to find them? Will you consider adopting a child that deserves your love just like any other?
Will you pray today that we break through the barriers and find the cure, break the stigma, open eyes and hearts ... and love as the body of Christ those that are affected by HIV/AIDS.
1 comment:
Beautiful post. I have learned so much about HIV and AIDS since adopting from Ethiopia. I visited an orphanage that housed only HIV positive children while in Ethiopia, and it was hands down one of the most powerful experiences of my life. Thank you for this post, and bringing awareness to something that unfortunately still needs so much awareness.
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