Justin's HIV Journal: Dab The AIDS Bear Project

Hey EVERY ONE
I was asked to do a Dab the AIDS Bear Project video and I jumped at the chance. As most of you know I LOOOOOOVE THE BEARS. Grrrr.

But honestly there is a greater mission ahead and the idea to do this was awesome. I got the information below from the website http://www.dabtheaidsbearproject.com Please go take a look.



DAB THE AIDS BEAR HISTORY


Back in 1981 when I had friends starting to die from AIDS, the hospitals wouldn't allow visitors into the patient's room unless you wore protective garments (gowns, masks etc.). GRID (what HIV was originally called) was considered reason to quarantine people with this new illness because they were afraid of this new disease and were not sure how the virus was passed. Because of this, people were usually close to death and had at least one opportunistic infection when they were diagnosed and hospitalized.

You could see even seasoned health care professional recoil in fear and not wanting to touch the patients. Even close friends were hesitant or scared to visit their friends in the hospital. Several friends and my first partner were dying without the comfort of human touch.

So I started buying Gund teddy bears and giving them to friends so they would not have to feel so alone, abandoned and afraid. That is how Dab the AIDS Bear was created.

I would personalize the bear to something I knew about them. From personal experience, nothing is worse than being in the hospital and being scared when you think you are going to die.

When people were admitted to the hospital then, they rarely made it outside of the hospital alive again. Even in the later 80s when the first HIV medications started becoming available, the medications only bought someone several months. Some longer, some shorter and most had debilitating side effects and greatly diminished quality of life. But there were no other options then to keep yourself alive. AIDS before 1996 for most was a death sentence.

When the red HIV/AIDS awareness ribbon became our symbol, I started adding a ribbon to the bears when I would give them as gifts to my friends dying due to this horrible virus. The universal appeal of bears brings smiles to even the sickest child or adult and are a symbol of strength and comfort for all ages.

In 1998, I designed another HIV awareness bear and massed produced it. The Dab the AIDS Bear was wholesaled in various specialty retail stores across the country. The reason I came out with another bear at that time was the funds to the AIDS organizations were being cut and services such as massage, acupuncture, aromatherapy, and nutrition counseling among others were canceled because of the government budget cuts to the Ryan White Act. Treatments that helped people with HIV/AIDS deal with the side effects from the medications and the illness itself were no longer available through public assistance programs.

Dab the AIDS Bear has met many young people under 25 that are already positive as we travel across the country doing HIV/AIDS awareness, education and prevention. Most of these exposures happened in high school or college age students. These young people represent all races, all economic backgrounds, all religious beliefs, all sexual orientations because NO ONE is immune. It's not like the virus is going to ask you questions before infecting you.
EVERY MAN WOMAN AND CHILD IN AMERICA CAN CATCH HIV!


Dab the AIDS Bear has also met with many 50+ citizens who are now finding out they are HIV positive. Many did not get tested and find out until their immune systems are depleted and they have one or more opportunistic infections. Too many are DYING because they didn't know their status in time so they could begin HIV treatment.
GET TESTED GET TESTED GET TESTED GET TESTED GET TESTED


According to doctor, if you are sexually active, you should be tested EVERY SIX MONTHS.

Dab the AIDS Bear is also an advocate for financially challenged Americans with HIV and AIDS who are placed on AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) waiting lists. He has held over 8000 American men, women and children as they lost their war with AIDS. An American man, woman or child should never have to die because they can not afford the life saving HIV medications. Too many Americans died before 1996 when HARTT treatment and protease inhibitors were released making it possible for most to live with this virus.

When did it become OK for Americans to die due to ignorance, lack of caring, or lack of government funding? We thought our great country, the leader of the free world, would be the first to make sure its own citizens would not be subjected to such a horrible fate. That we as Americans would be the one to show we take care of our own. Well they are being shown and they need your help.

Dab the AIDS Bear travels around the globe as it nears it's 30th birthday. You can find him at AIDS Walks, AIDS cycles, health fairs, public events, conferences, etc.

So stay tuned for an appearance of Dab the AIDS Bear in your area. We have our Ambassadors of Hope traveling the globe with Dab the AIDS Bear and taking pictures.

So walk up, say hello and have your picture taken with Dab the AIDS Bear and help prevent new HIV infections while helping those already infected.

Wishing you health, hope and happiness.

big bear hug,

Daddy Dab and Dab the AIDS Bear