Student AIDS March
Ok everyone I know its been a while since I posted last but wow I have been so busy! For now I am going to post about today, a day that to many was inspirational! Today myself and thousands of other students marched from the White House to the US Capitol in the fight against AIDS. It was one of the most amazing things I have ever done, SO many people supporting my and so many others fight who are infected with HIV.
Wow, A big shout out to my new friends from WISC! yes they tracked 14+ hours to come to this march, my new friends from George Washington, from Vermont, CT, NY, SC, I mean I could go on and on. Thank you all personally for coming out and making a difference, for using your voice to make a difference but most of all for being there, for me, for your friends, family, in memory of someone for all those who don't or can't have a voice in this fight... Today, you faught for them and today you faught for me. So.. THANK YOU!
I will bring you all up to date with the recent events of Who's Positive sometime this coming week. For now I leave you with the words from my speech:
First of all, My name is Tom and I AM HIV positive, I am proud to be who I am and Today I am energized by two stories I was reminded of last week at the Ryan White Youth Conference in Nashville Tenn. Stories of two totally different people who were just like all of us. Ryan White and Pedro Zamora from MTV’s Real World. Two stories of people like us… two amazing and strong individuals who used their voice to make a difference in this fight. Two of my peers who have gone from this world too soon. My name is Tom Donohue, 25 years old from State College Pennsylvania. I sit on the HIV/AIDS Risk Reduction Advisory Council at Penn State University and am Founder of a non-profit organization called Who’s Positive. In the words of Padro, "I am not dying of AIDS, I am living with AIDS, and I will be living with AIDS until my last breath.” I was diagnosed with HIV in October of 2003. In Dec of 2003 I realized I had an opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives. I wanted to one day leave a legacy of making a difference in someone’s life, of being a voice of someone who is afraid of or can not speak for themselves. Today I come to DC today to use my voice as part of a choir, a choir of voices demanding change. Voices that MUST and WILL be heard today!
Ryan White was diagnosed with AIDS at age 13 and gained international notoriety fighting for his right to attend school. In the process, he opened the hearts and minds of millions of people. Ryan contracted HIV through blood-based products used to treat his hemophilia. He learned that he had the virus when he contracted a life-threatening lung infection. At the time, he was told he had no more than six months to live. While recuperating and thinking about the limited time he had left, Ryan told his mother Jeanne that he wanted to live a normal life, go to school, be with friends, and enjoy day-to-day activities.
Unfortunately, Ryan’s school and his community responded with fear and ignorance. The local superintendent refused to allow Ryan to attend school, a move supported by teachers and parents. Ryan and his family fought the decision, but Ryan was forced to “attend” school by telephone for months while his case made its way through an administrative appeals process. Once the state board of education ruled that he should be allowed to return to school a group of parents sued to keep him out. The courts ultimately ruled in Ryan’s favor, and he did return to school.
Ryan’s legacy lives on in many ways. The Ryan White CARE Act is a federal program that funds services for over 500,000 people with HIV/AIDS each year. The Ryan White CARE Act was signed by Congress in August 1990. This federal program is the largest federal source of “discretionary” funding for HIV/AIDS, it currently provides financial support for thousands of programs that are providing both treatment and care across the country. The act is due to expire on September 30, 2005, and without reauthorization, will cease to exits. We are calling for the reauthorization of the Ryan White CARE Act, and full funding for the program. Last week I gazed at Jeanne White watching a screen of pictures of Ryan. Pictures of her son who died almost 15 years ago. I watched the tears fall from her eyes as she remembered Ryan’s smile and his fight. I sat there and thought about my own my mom with her big smile and warm heart how one day she may be doing that same thing as I look upon her not able to speak. If there is no cure in my time, I think about the day my family learns of my end. The end of my journey the end of my fight. But then I look at all of you and hope that from this day forward you take this fight to whom ever you can using your voice as loud as you can to encourage others to use join this fight, a fight for me, for you a fight for our friends, family, roommates and one day, one day we will be able to say that all of us who used our voice made a difference in saving lives."
Wow, A big shout out to my new friends from WISC! yes they tracked 14+ hours to come to this march, my new friends from George Washington, from Vermont, CT, NY, SC, I mean I could go on and on. Thank you all personally for coming out and making a difference, for using your voice to make a difference but most of all for being there, for me, for your friends, family, in memory of someone for all those who don't or can't have a voice in this fight... Today, you faught for them and today you faught for me. So.. THANK YOU!
I will bring you all up to date with the recent events of Who's Positive sometime this coming week. For now I leave you with the words from my speech:
First of all, My name is Tom and I AM HIV positive, I am proud to be who I am and Today I am energized by two stories I was reminded of last week at the Ryan White Youth Conference in Nashville Tenn. Stories of two totally different people who were just like all of us. Ryan White and Pedro Zamora from MTV’s Real World. Two stories of people like us… two amazing and strong individuals who used their voice to make a difference in this fight. Two of my peers who have gone from this world too soon. My name is Tom Donohue, 25 years old from State College Pennsylvania. I sit on the HIV/AIDS Risk Reduction Advisory Council at Penn State University and am Founder of a non-profit organization called Who’s Positive. In the words of Padro, "I am not dying of AIDS, I am living with AIDS, and I will be living with AIDS until my last breath.” I was diagnosed with HIV in October of 2003. In Dec of 2003 I realized I had an opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives. I wanted to one day leave a legacy of making a difference in someone’s life, of being a voice of someone who is afraid of or can not speak for themselves. Today I come to DC today to use my voice as part of a choir, a choir of voices demanding change. Voices that MUST and WILL be heard today!
Ryan White was diagnosed with AIDS at age 13 and gained international notoriety fighting for his right to attend school. In the process, he opened the hearts and minds of millions of people. Ryan contracted HIV through blood-based products used to treat his hemophilia. He learned that he had the virus when he contracted a life-threatening lung infection. At the time, he was told he had no more than six months to live. While recuperating and thinking about the limited time he had left, Ryan told his mother Jeanne that he wanted to live a normal life, go to school, be with friends, and enjoy day-to-day activities.
Unfortunately, Ryan’s school and his community responded with fear and ignorance. The local superintendent refused to allow Ryan to attend school, a move supported by teachers and parents. Ryan and his family fought the decision, but Ryan was forced to “attend” school by telephone for months while his case made its way through an administrative appeals process. Once the state board of education ruled that he should be allowed to return to school a group of parents sued to keep him out. The courts ultimately ruled in Ryan’s favor, and he did return to school.
Ryan’s legacy lives on in many ways. The Ryan White CARE Act is a federal program that funds services for over 500,000 people with HIV/AIDS each year. The Ryan White CARE Act was signed by Congress in August 1990. This federal program is the largest federal source of “discretionary” funding for HIV/AIDS, it currently provides financial support for thousands of programs that are providing both treatment and care across the country. The act is due to expire on September 30, 2005, and without reauthorization, will cease to exits. We are calling for the reauthorization of the Ryan White CARE Act, and full funding for the program. Last week I gazed at Jeanne White watching a screen of pictures of Ryan. Pictures of her son who died almost 15 years ago. I watched the tears fall from her eyes as she remembered Ryan’s smile and his fight. I sat there and thought about my own my mom with her big smile and warm heart how one day she may be doing that same thing as I look upon her not able to speak. If there is no cure in my time, I think about the day my family learns of my end. The end of my journey the end of my fight. But then I look at all of you and hope that from this day forward you take this fight to whom ever you can using your voice as loud as you can to encourage others to use join this fight, a fight for me, for you a fight for our friends, family, roommates and one day, one day we will be able to say that all of us who used our voice made a difference in saving lives."