tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23254997.post5321306732632073210..comments2023-09-23T03:23:06.597-06:00Comments on Banku, Pho and Fried Spiders: Adopting HIV+ ChildrenA. Gillispiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05867049082571384585noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23254997.post-14309078518724366022008-09-05T10:12:00.000-06:002008-09-05T10:12:00.000-06:00Echoing everyone's comments. So grateful for the ...Echoing everyone's comments. So grateful for the families that are stepping out and disclosing - oh my they need our prayers and am committed to that. Armed with the truth, this battle will be won. <BR/><BR/>All this made me think about the families that are stepping out and are choosing not to disclose. I need to remind myself of that and their privacy and do what I can to help protect those families. It may not just be HIV+ or Hep B, there are some children that have had trauma to deal with and I need to check myself in my zeal to encourage those to share or get together. Hope that made sense.<BR/><BR/>KathyUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15086449661045540249noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23254997.post-50302264465121720232008-09-04T11:37:00.000-06:002008-09-04T11:37:00.000-06:00I loved the article when I saw it the other day- b...I loved the article when I saw it the other day- but I couldn't even get through the first page of comments. Why do people have so much time to be so hateful? Ugh. <BR/>Thanks for posting about this- ignorance breeds hate.<BR/>Love ya!<BR/>SarahMomto16https://www.blogger.com/profile/02209044048232703879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23254997.post-31218697282905849632008-09-03T22:17:00.000-06:002008-09-03T22:17:00.000-06:00Yeah, I am totally amazed at people sometimes! It...Yeah, I am totally amazed at people sometimes! It's very eye-opening some of the things people say! My stomach turned when I realized these types of ideas still exsist. To be honest, I was very misinformed about HIV/AIDS myself. I was never hateful, just scared. That was what was taught in our school was to be scared of HIV/AIDS. We were told "only a pinprick of blood containing AIDS will give you AIDS" Think how scared this will make a gradeschooler. This thought process carried on into adulthood b/c I had never heard any different until I started looking into it more and found out there is really nothing to be afraid of as long as you use the "universal precautions" you mentioned! I think it is great that you are posting this and educating people about what HIV/AIDS REALLY is. <BR/>emIn His Dusthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06321275616718779389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23254997.post-41594025215413505762008-09-03T13:02:00.000-06:002008-09-03T13:02:00.000-06:00Thank you for posting this. It too breaks my heart...Thank you for posting this. It too breaks my heart for the mother and of course the children who are stereotyped out of ignorance. Our family has had to deal with stupid people for some time. I hope when the time comes for us to adopt HIV+ my skin will be thick enough. If it's not, I'm willing to deal with the hurt for my child!Mia's Mommyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07908598474156691022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23254997.post-30872743446967728352008-09-03T12:08:00.000-06:002008-09-03T12:08:00.000-06:00Really good article, really human comments...........Really good article, really human comments................human kindness, human ignorance, human selflessness and human fear:all manifestations of ones individual worldview. TRUSTFULLY articles like this, and more and more people actually MEETING and KNOWING people who have HIV/ AIDS will broaden that worldview which makes me cry and experience nausea along with the rest of you!! We have lived some of that ugliness 9and the kindness!) in our community since adopting a daugther who has Hep B. We did make our church aware of our baby's status before she came home, but we didn't broadcast beyond the immediate "need to know". Several families actually left our church because they didn't want their (immunized, uiversal precaution- practicing ) children anywhere near my infant daughter. 6 1/2 years later, 95% of those people are back actively in our lives. Most without apologies or explanations, but its my guess that the figured out "it" isnt so scary after all, and that my daughter was "ok"? Some did explain and it was embarrassing for them, they had to admit. A number have asked forgiveness for their attitudes. WORKS FOR ME, as long as its genuine and my daughter is in no way singled out in a negative fashion along the way. That's how we learn. <BR/>I guess in our openess to HIV in our current adoptions, I am hoping that the same people who wigged out so badly over our daughter's diagnosis 6 1/2 years ago will be more open them selves this time. More open, I hope, from having learned first hand that some of the "bugs" which go around our town are MUCH easier to contract than the "bugs" of worldwide renown which have been cause of so much fear and prejudice. I still expect flak (what a tidy word0 , so we have been pretty open in our openess so that people in our life circle will be learning from how we are living and approaching the possibility of HIV in our little community. Will we disclose IF our next child(ren) are HIV+? To those who really need to know, for purposes of medical treatment, prayer support, but as part of the "MEET Keren Jubilee and Samuel" annoucement? OH NO!<BR/>Lindawhenpigsflyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01657750078547459279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23254997.post-67676266028976457612008-09-03T11:37:00.000-06:002008-09-03T11:37:00.000-06:00I'm totally going to have to check out the article...I'm totally going to have to check out the article but skip the comments. For some reason I started to get choked up just reading about the hateful comments. I'm not going to go there.<BR/>I think when our time comes to do this adoption (and it's coming up!!) we will end up disclosing. Thank goodness there are great resources out there like Erin who have lived it.Nicole - Raising Animalshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16878942142988882867noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23254997.post-43477943063257280822008-09-03T06:39:00.000-06:002008-09-03T06:39:00.000-06:00Amen. I cried when I read those hateful things. ...Amen. I cried when I read those hateful things. I'm stunned at such stupidity and hatred. I've been thinking about posting about the article myself, but just can't quite find the words. You spoke my heart sister.Heatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09272756526474014493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23254997.post-54651752154139971882008-09-03T06:10:00.000-06:002008-09-03T06:10:00.000-06:00I know. The article was great. I said I wasn't g...I know. The article was great. I said I wasn't going to read the comments, because they are never productive. But I couldn't help but read through a few pages. I didn't know whether to cry or puke. I think sometimes I can get so comfortable and safe feeling here in the online adoption world that I tend to forget that there are real life people who are this hateful.<BR/><BR/>I understand why they disclose their kid's HIV status, I really do. And, like you, if we were to adopt internationally again, I'd take a long hard look at HIV+ children. I'm actually kind of leaning towards it in the future....like way in the future. However, for us, for now, I think we would not disclose.Jennyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15687963576528717948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23254997.post-22882313617552837552008-09-02T23:34:00.000-06:002008-09-02T23:34:00.000-06:00My stomach literally turned reading some of those ...My stomach literally turned reading some of those comments. Ugly. Ignorant. Very scary.<BR/><BR/>I am very glad the article was written, as I'm sure MANY people with good hearts and misinformation were probably educated through it. <BR/><BR/> I really do wish that people weren't allowed to leave comments without leaving their REAL names- those comments would look different. Sure, the thoughts would still be in the minds of the ignorant, but at least the rest of us wouldn't be subjected to them!<BR/><BR/>FabuAmyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06933917664692046429noreply@blogger.com