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PAGE20,WH1BYFEE RES~WENESDAY, OC'fOBE17ï' 1990 Oct. 15-m21 - AJDS.awarenessleducaton week Deadly to den AIDSý By Trudie Zavadovica' To look at Michael, you see a vibrant, healthy young man. To know-Michael, you see a sensit- ive, intelligent man with strength' of purpose and of character. Each,'day Michael strugges te, maintain that imhage - not» just for others, primarily for himself. What y u don't see when you Iook at ichel is his pain, his anguish, and his .lonelineas. ,What you don't see is a man with AIDS. ,Three years ago Michael was diagnosed, with AIDS., He was sentenced to die within six months..Through strength, self- education, money, a gut survival instinct, and- loada of hope, Michael has managed te stay alive and healthy. %ut each day. he..and at least 100 other people in Durham-Region waik a tenu- ous tightrope between lie and death. Statistically, Michael, is one of 17 people in Durham n Region diagnosed with AJUS in its fully developed stages. According te Cheryl Moore, co-chair*man ofthe AIDS Committee of Durham ]Region more thaný 100 other pole hiave been diagnosed with HW posqitive biood. That means that the AIDS virus is present but not fully developed. For them, Wtsqnly a matter of time. Accordfrng te, Michael who, like - many otuirs, was foroed te seek heip in Toronto because of the lackc of professional help and resources in Durham Region, it is likely that the actual statistics for AIDS and HIV infected people in Durham Regfion are at least double what has ben docu- mented. 1StilI, the AIDS Committee of Durham Region is struggling te, get funding for public education quality professional care and treatment for MUDS patients and their familles. What they did get last May was a $40,000 grant te carry out a needs study of Durham Region.. The results of that study are expected tbe in print by Nov. 1. Judith Tansley was one of two people who worked on the study. She now sits on the board of directers of the MUDS Committee AJDS Coemitte of DuramRegon PurpoStb. - to lobby for funding; - to advocate and develop. a service and support network specificto the neede of those people affected by, HWV in Durham; - to support in principle the development of a community or hospital-based dlinic within the region for the treatment of people with HWV. contact: AIDS Hotline 1-800-668-2437 of DJurhiam Réegion. Although she couldn't release ail the informa- tion before the study is made public, there are some inescap-. able factspertinent to the ýregion. «Generally speaking, it is quite clear that something more is needed than what, is here,» says Tansley. "The three most identi-, fied gaps in services, are in spe- cialized medical expertise, re AIDS and related infections, counselling, and AIDS education for hard-to-reach, high-risk groups." She cites teens,' IVdrug usera and women as key groupe. "There needs te be communica- tion, collaboration and network- ing between those people and agencies, providing care,» "sy Ta-nsley. «We wanted te îidentifr proqýýrs and services already available and then te, find out what was missing.» She says that people from al eight municipalities of the region took part in thiestudy, with 43 as the average age of the respon- dent. The youngest rsondent was age 15, and the oldest was 79. She said that, first and fore- most, what is not available in Durham Region is a list of AIDS support services, information such as local doctors and profes- *FACT - ln North America, most of the people who are in fected with the virus are men. In other parts of the world, as many women as men have the virus. *!in North America the number of wornen infected with-the Human Immunodeficiency virus is increasing steadily. Curnulative totail 400 300 200 ______ _____ ______ 300!f 211 .0 . Dec. Dec. Dec. Dec. 86 -87 88- 89 Totail number oi wamen in Ontaria who have. tested HIV pasitive. sionals willing te take - MUDS patiente, different treatinents ,and drugs available, and support, groups or oné-on-one counselling avai I ble. «There's nothing'resentiy in Durham Region that identifies it as being MUDS services," says Tansley. «Eighty per cent of t he people diagnosed as HIV positive SaId that they didnt know any physicians, professionals or clergy Who could treat them in the region. "There is an urgent need -for specialized expertise and coun- selling. There needs te, be advo- cacy. Honiophobia sud AMUS phobia need te be addressed,» says Tassey. Although they are just in the beginning stages, the MUDS Comn- mittee of Durham Region, soon to, get its charitable number, is already starting te address some of those needs but remains quite hieipless without adequate fund- ing nd ommuitysupport. Th AIDrnmit eof Dur- ham Region evolved froni DASH, which is, a self-help group in the region. Today it has a 30-mem-, ber steering com mittee. and a board of, directors comprised, of a good cross-section of the com- munity. beoore says that the region is beidthe times with respect te, treatment- and education of AIDS and- that in the iong run, it is tue region that will suifer. "Peole,, prefer te close their e es. Te response is slow. Were three te four years behind the times. That means we'll become educated inter. The slower we are in education, the -more pro- biems we wiIl have." She says that it's important te develop a community education programn that the people will listen te sund accept. "We want te, make sure what we do- will be accepted -y the people of Durham Region. That they are comfortable. It takes patience and perserverence. Everyone needs te educate theni- selves, te be open-minded. People need te take responsibility-or theniselves. She cites one of the most coxp- mon mythr, about AIUS, that it is a homosexual disease. «It cuts across ail sermnents of society. People think if ]Pm mono- gamous, it can't happen te me." Moore says that's not; true, that people have developed patterns of serial-monogainy, which StiR means you're sleeping with anyone else your partner has ever slept with. Sheý also às that IVdrg usage is a major problem i e Region which is also a major way of contracting AIDS. For Michael, as for many other people ini the region, education about AIS prevention came teo late. Today,he educates himself about availe treatment. "The first. thing I had te do was Yet a grp on my fear. I went to the AIUS committee in Toronte and associated' myself with peole who were dealing Wt Ù suad doing weil. UT 0 I fcould wok on my ow The Canadian Federal. Centre for AI DS has Scarborough York Region Durhmam Region Peerborough Çounty Htiliburton, KawI/irthct,1 someone else.» Aithough Michael has- had wonderful support 'from- his friends, ho bas yet te tell his family about his condition. . rve chosen not te tel them. That decision cornes from their' reaction te other stress Situa- tions. I wish I had a'substitute family with good coping sAills. UI said te myelf that if I feel that death is inevitable, I will tell them. When I think theres's no more hope, I, will tell tbem.» Ho feels that mucb needs to-be done te bring AIDS inte perspec- tive in the communifty, sud te a large extent ho bas tak on on that responsibility. Ho serves as a courageous and exceptional role mode i for -other AM Ssu. erers and spernds mucb of bis tume visitig newly-diagnosed patiente. If Michael has on e msage for the people of DurhamnRegio, it's that denying that AUSeiets bore is a deadly mistake. The only way te1 take control is te take responsibility for effective education of ail groups; te p ro- vide quaiity treatmente; and te not'get stuck on judgmente and socal stigmnas, and not te be fear-driven. »Huge. portions of our com- munity are decimated sud devas- tated. People are taken in the pnrme of life.' By losing such a large number of young peopje, PinékàeRidge<' what- does that mean to".the community? Durham7 Region hasn't begun te realize ýthe l, oss. They haven't acknowledged the problem.» Michael has not given up hope. He sees himselfrowing old., "[ stili have thi2s firm belief I will survive this. WeWre, losing so, many dynamic youngpeuple who have' so much to er. e have te movethis inte the realm of a chronic manageable ilines and te eventually find a cure.» He hangs onte the hop e, but sometimes wond&ers,.why.- Anyone wishing further information about AIDS can contact the committee at 723-Mrl 723.821or 1.800.6682437. «Nobody rea ily- knows -the fatigue, lonelineas and isolation, the struggle day te, day, not te know what side of the line. you will be on. As friends die, I ask, what's thé bonus? Wha' the reward? Do I get te, be the only person on the island? " My, reward is that I feel r m alone. That, like a lot of- things is not fair. Most of us really neâ a* hand. Many feel they can't even die. with dignity in their own communit. Michael is stili. hoping for a miracle. To. many othlers, he is one. 58 53 17 TR IS IS THE AD TIIS 8Tiff ADý YOU'RE HOPING SOMEONE lS SOMEONE ELSE IS HOPING»' WILLSEE. YOU'LLSEE.,