Legacy Campaign

Introduction

Preface

Despite the progress that has been made in the medical treatment of HIV/AIDS, people living with this virus still carry with them the additional burden of the stigma and discrimination this disease brings with it. Living with HIV/AIDS in the Fox River Valley of Illinois is no different. One thing we do know: the impact of personally knowing someone who is HIV+ dramatically minimizes fear, stigma and discrimination.

Open Door Clinic has begun to address these issues by undertaking the challenge of collecting and making accessible the personal stories of HIV+ people through "The Legacy Campaign." The stories compiled in this book are the first collected and demonstrate the diversity of lives impacted by HIV/AIDS here in the Heartland. They offer a powerful glimpse into the personal struggles of these courageous individuals who hope that their stories can contribute to limiting new infections while correcting and eliminating unwarranted fears, stigmas, and discriminatory practices where they live and work.

Since the beginning of this 21st century, HIV/AIDS has grown into pandemic proportions, touching every corner of the world. HIV/AIDS is no respecter of persons, but disproportionately affects people of color and the poor.

While numbers of new HIV infections grow steadily and consistently and more people are living longer with the virus, society is becoming increasingly apathetic toward the impact of this disease. The sensationalism of the pandemic has worn off and the media have moved on while the community at large pushes it back further and further into the collective unconscious, willing to accept the losses as the status quo. We at Open Door Clinic believe that there are no acceptable losses and that as long as we are without a cure it is paramount that we strive for new and innovative ways to address HIV/AIDS on every front. The Legacy Campaign is a product of our belief.

If these stories touch your heart, you may wish to make a tax-deductible contribution to help the cause. Send your donation to The Legacy Campaign, c/o The Open Door Clinic, 164 Division Street, Suite #607, Elgin, Illinois, 60120, USA.

Dedication

At Open Door Clinic's monthly staff meetings, the agenda includes a time for candle lighting in remembrance of clients who have died since the previous meeting.

When a client dies, a candle in the middle of the table is lit. Staff members then take turns sharing memories of their involvement with that client and the things they will miss now that the person is gone. As each person adds his or her recollections, a story of the deceased individual begins to unfold. The staff at Open Door Clinic has weathered the passing of more than five hundred people since the beginning of the epidemic in the Fox River Valley of Illinois.

During the many years that this tradition has been followed, there has been only a handful of meetings when the candle did not need to be lit. Although there have been major breakthroughs in medical treatment of HIV/AIDS, the death rate has slowed, but certainly not stopped.

This work is dedicated to all of the people whose stories were left unwritten and for whom a potential legacy was lost.

Acknowledgments:

Most notably…a big thank you/gracias to the courageous individuals who were willing to forge a new trail by unselfishly offering up their invaluable personal stories as a benefit to others.
A debt of gratitude to the Open Door Clinic staff and volunteers who worked so diligently to collect these stories and make "The Legacy Campaign" a work of love and respect.
To Abraham Rose, aka His Rose, Inc., for her enthusiasm, dedication and leadership in bringing this work to print.
To Eric R. Kohnke, aka Kohnke Photography, for the beautiful cover design.
Finally, to David M. Roesler, Executive Director of Open Door Clinic, for his vision of "The Legacy Campaign" and what it can accomplish.