AIDS Care - from a Chaplain

Tonight I'm missing Belva but so very proud of her and what she is doing. It certainly will be a significant lifetime event for her.

Back in the late 80's and early 90's when I was a hospital chaplain I ministered to a number of people dying from AIDS. One patient (I'll call him Dave) I especially remember at Crawford Long came in one night with a raging case of pneumocystis. He had just returned from a trip to Europe with his mother which both enjoyed immensely. It was immediately apparent that he was in critical condition. Dave had converted from HIV positive to full blown AIDS. In the hospital that night were his mother, younger brother, ex-wife, partner, friends from the hair salon where he worked, and a number of other family members and friends. They were all devastated. Some obviously did not know he was positive, others seemed to be finally grapling with the fact that he was gay. Among those gathered in their common concern some were strangers to each other. But they put aside whatever differences they may have had with each other and wept as they prayed for Dave. He was a young man in the prime of his life. It sounded like he had just begun to live. Dave died a few days later. AIDS deaths in those days were agony. Though I wasn't able to know Dave as I would have liked, I will neve forget him. In the end he was surrounded by love.