Jazzman
12-01-2009, 01:50 AM
[This is cross posted from a note I put up on Facebook about tomorrow, so please forgive my copy-and-pastingness. I wanted to bring it up here, and saw no reason to reword it. Thanks.]
World AIDS Day (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/11/30/EDKR1ASIU9.DTL)
Tomorrow, December 1st, is World AIDS Day. Tomorrow we honor and remember those we have lost along the way to this terrible disease. Some of you may have never known anyone with AIDS, many of you have. In my community (the Hemophilia community) we have been particularly devastated by AIDS. During the 1980s more than half (and by some sources, as much as three quarters) of all hemophiliacs in the U.S. were infected, most because of negligence and outright deceit by those controlling the blood supply. We lost more than 10,000 of our brothers, and many other loved ones who fell victim to co-infection. Myself, I look back at childhood pictures from Hemo events and see mostly ghosts: friends, mentors and heroes whom I had to say goodbye to all too soon.
Please join us in taking a moment to pause tomorrow and honor all of those, in all communities, who have suffered because of this. AIDS is a disease which, through education, awareness and action can be wiped out forever. We can make this happen. We can stop the pain, and stop losing our loved ones. If you would be so kind, please, just for tomorrow, change your profile pic to a red ribbon to show your support. It means so much to so many.
Thanks,
Jeff
World AIDS Day (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/11/30/EDKR1ASIU9.DTL)
Tomorrow, December 1st, is World AIDS Day. Tomorrow we honor and remember those we have lost along the way to this terrible disease. Some of you may have never known anyone with AIDS, many of you have. In my community (the Hemophilia community) we have been particularly devastated by AIDS. During the 1980s more than half (and by some sources, as much as three quarters) of all hemophiliacs in the U.S. were infected, most because of negligence and outright deceit by those controlling the blood supply. We lost more than 10,000 of our brothers, and many other loved ones who fell victim to co-infection. Myself, I look back at childhood pictures from Hemo events and see mostly ghosts: friends, mentors and heroes whom I had to say goodbye to all too soon.
Please join us in taking a moment to pause tomorrow and honor all of those, in all communities, who have suffered because of this. AIDS is a disease which, through education, awareness and action can be wiped out forever. We can make this happen. We can stop the pain, and stop losing our loved ones. If you would be so kind, please, just for tomorrow, change your profile pic to a red ribbon to show your support. It means so much to so many.
Thanks,
Jeff