Yesterday, as you know, I saw President Clinton at Colombia University. The occasion was World AIDS day, and he gave a lot of information (and a pep talk) about his foundations imitative.
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The Clinton HIV/AIDS Child services program currently helps 134,000 children in 70 countries. Not just with AIDS, but the foundation has found that creating an infrastructure (a field medical place) allows them to treat Malaria, Tuberculous and Dysentery.
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The foundation provides over 40% of all AIDS support to children in developing countries. He is quick to say that isn't enough. It supplies 40% of what is provided and so much more is needed, but it is a hell of a start.
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They also provide the treatments that allow mothers to avoid passing the virus to their children during pregnancy.
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I can't write this without crying a little.
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I love Ed, and would not change a second (not a second) of our lives together. But losing Mark to AIDS after 5 years together just about killed me. Knowing how much life, joy, humor and love was snuffed out - well I don't really have words.
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I learned to live, to keep going and to be open to loving Ed - because of what I lost. In some very basic ways Mark Cunningham saved me. He allowed me to know life.
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World AIDs day (Dec 1st) was a grass roots designation. It was started by people who lost others. We made quilts. We wore ribbons. We SCREAMED. We made people listen to the silence of all those deaths. We made sure they weren't going quietly away.
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In the December 1st issue of Entertainment Weekly (starting in 1990 or 91), they listed those in industry who died. In the 1993 issue, Mark was listed - along with the largest group of men and women ever listed. Hundreds of dead. Hundreds of creative forces lost.
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Since then, the drug cocktail has saved the lives of my friends and my loved ones. The Clinton Foundation, ICAP (Colombia's foundation) and others have saved hundreds of thousands if not millions of lives since 1993 - forcing drug companies to open patents and provide life saving treatments.
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The first official announcement and governmental recognition of Worlds AIDS DAy was by President Clinton in 1995. Yesterday it was my honor to stand up and applaud him for that effort.