Lisa is one of my most favorite blogging people on earth, a mentor of sorts in a blogging kind of way.
Although I have never met her, she has had a profound impact on us as we have followed her family's beautiful story of service and obedience. They have added 4 HIV+ kids to their 7 biological by way of adoption. She shares their journey and struggles with such humility, honesty, wisdom, insight, courage, and depth. I genuinely admire them for welcoming into their family children who could be so easily forgotten, left without hope for a home, or parents, severely limiting their possibilities for a bright future. Shouldn't all children have that? These kids deal with not only the loss of their parents and/or siblings, but the stigmatization of a virus that no longer needs to be life threatening, nor is it contracted through casual or household contact.
I saw just the smallest glimpse of this firsthand over the weekend during the Universal Precautions segment that accompanied my CPR/First Aid class (a.k.a. The Most Boring Day of My Whole Entire Life.) It saddened me to hear how the instructor talked about this and the way she repeatedly used the word AIDS when she meant HIV+ as if the terms were synonymous. With disdain. These kids deserve better.
Through Lisa's blog I have become further educated in the distinction between HIV+ and AIDS, learning more about why it is we don't hear much about AIDS in our country anymore due to the medications that are available.
After much discussion, Bob and I don't feel at this time we are prepared to adopt HIV+ kids, although we do leave that possibility wide open for the future.
We want to do something though. The question is what?
Sponsoring a child living at AHOPE, an orphanage Lisa works with, which provides a home and education for HIV+ children. That's it! We can do that. Only $35/month can make a significant impact on the life of an HIV+ child. We may not be ready or able to adopt an HIV+ orphan, but we can do something tangible to help these kids. How very exciting.
Here is a super cool t-shirt we will wear proudly and help spread the word. Only $10. If you would like one, you can go here!
I saw just the smallest glimpse of this firsthand over the weekend during the Universal Precautions segment that accompanied my CPR/First Aid class (a.k.a. The Most Boring Day of My Whole Entire Life.) It saddened me to hear how the instructor talked about this and the way she repeatedly used the word AIDS when she meant HIV+ as if the terms were synonymous. With disdain. These kids deserve better.
Through Lisa's blog I have become further educated in the distinction between HIV+ and AIDS, learning more about why it is we don't hear much about AIDS in our country anymore due to the medications that are available.
After much discussion, Bob and I don't feel at this time we are prepared to adopt HIV+ kids, although we do leave that possibility wide open for the future.
We want to do something though. The question is what?
Sponsoring a child living at AHOPE, an orphanage Lisa works with, which provides a home and education for HIV+ children. That's it! We can do that. Only $35/month can make a significant impact on the life of an HIV+ child. We may not be ready or able to adopt an HIV+ orphan, but we can do something tangible to help these kids. How very exciting.
Here is a super cool t-shirt we will wear proudly and help spread the word. Only $10. If you would like one, you can go here!
1 comment:
sweet. I just added her blog to my favorites ... will have to read and learn!
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