Lea A, Price D; International Conference on AIDS.
Int Conf AIDS. 1998; 12: 972 (abstract no. 44176).
Humming Bird Kids Society, Vancouver B.C., Canada.
ISSUE: Being able to respect rights of confidentiality and privacy while providing support for children infected with/affected by HIV/AIDS and their families in the greater Vancouver area, British Columbia, Canada. PROJECT: In 1996, the Hummingbird Kids Society (HKS) was established to respond to the needs of children infected with/affected by HIV/AIDS. The name of this organization is derived from the stories of British Columbia's aboriginal people: "It is said that Hummingbird conjures up love as no other medicine does, and that the Hummingbird feathers open the heart. If Hummingbird appears during a time of great sorrow and pain, healing will soon follow." This vision to minimize the suffering of children in a world of HIV/AIDS has been hampered immensely by the need to raise funds without exploiting the vulnerability of children or families and lack of accurate statistics about the number of children affected by HIV/AIDS. RESULTS: Care and attention was needed to provide support that allows families to celebrate life occasionally free from HIV-related troubles. Social events organized can neither be publicly hosted by HKS, nor acknowledged as events funded by (e.g.,) companies that supply anti-retroviral medications because children may not know that they or their family members live with HIV. LESSONS LEARNED: Unique challenges exist because families want to protect the well-being of their children from AIDS-related stigma and health care professionals want to protect the privacy of their clients.
Publication Types:
Keywords:
- Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
- Animals
- British Columbia
- Canada
- Child
- Child Welfare
- Child of Impaired Parents
- Family
- Grief
- HIV Infections
- HIV Seropositivity
- Health Services Needs and Demand
- Humans
- Organizations
- organization & administration
Other ID:
UI: 102231809
From Meeting Abstracts