lori@hacgate.CTC.SCG.HAC.COM (Lori + 8/9) (03/03/90)
My kids and I had an AIDS Buddy for several months last year, until he moved. Since then, I have seen a few shows on T.V. which expressed the isolation of families with pediatric AIDS. Hey, I thought, we could try to connect with a family with kids which might be in such a situation. I've since discovered that there is a strong secondary cause for this isolation from the HIV- world: No one wants to bridge the gap for those who'd be more than happy to make friends. I have called every organization, hospital, doctor, etc., which I've heard mentioned in connection with pediatric AIDS, to find out if there are any HIV+ families in our area who'd like to make new friends. So far, I'm 0 for about 6-- every voice at the other end says "Hey, that's great! But we don't *do* that here. Nobody does." I left our phone number with all of them, but it did no good. I advertised on the net, and did get one lead to a hospital in New England, but no response from them at all. If isolation is such a significant issue with children with AIDS, then why isn't there a ready way for us to make a connection? Is it that people are so overwhelmed with treating the physical disease they forget about the other aspects of being a HIV+ child? Or would HIV+ families rather be left alone, anyway? ...lori