World AIDS Day...

Today is a really special day to me---it stirs up a lot of the dreams and passions that began in my heart in college. Back when Dr Ball shared her contagious desire to make a difference in the world, in the area of AIDS. Here we are almost 10 years later, and it continues to be such a devastating epidemic that more than 5 people die every single day from this disease. It seems so overwhelming and at times discouraging to let your heart feel the actual impact...at least that's how I feel a lot of the time. But on a day like today, I think just stopping and remembering the real human lives that are effected...especially children's lives...I feel compassion for all who are effected by AIDS, but the children just break my heart. Children who become caregivers to their own parents while they are only elementary school age---I'm sure you have all seen stories of these situations, and it is truly heartbreaking.

When I graduated from college I truly hoped to make a difference in regards to this disease by being an AIDS educator in Africa---for some reason I have always been passionate about Africa, although AIDS most certainly impacts every single country and continent. I traveled to Kenya which is a relatively modernized country, to work with a Medical Team, and get a better feeling for education in a third world country. To be honest, it was an extremely discouraging trip. A maturing trip, in the sense that I think most of us upon graduation have a somewhat unrealistic expectation of how we will change the world :) But my discouragement was primarily found in the fact that the public health officials in Kenya were still quite unwilling to admit there was a problem. It was a very "religious" country and for that reason, it was apparently improper to admit a disease as "immoral" as AIDS was impacting their own. And for that reason there was no real public health initiative on their part to educate and prevent the disease. And their death records only stated that thousands were dying of "tuberculosis." In fact, there was still the belief floating around in many areas we visited that sleeping with a virgin would actually cure you of HIV...wow....


Ok, all simply to say that this is still my deepest passion---not sure why---not sure how it will play out now that I have a little one...but today I want to stop and pray for the precious people, old and young, who are struggling in pain with this disease. For those who could see so much improvement if only they could afford medication. For those in our own backyard who are dying of the disease. And for those of us with the heart and resources to step up and participate any way we can.

Wow, I googled "world AIDS day" and there are just so many ways to get involved. It is so beautiful when we band together to help others, isn't it?