Remarks by David, age 17:
"When I first found out my Mom has AIDS I think I was ten.  I thought she was gonna die right then.  That’s when my boat started to sink.  I stopped caring and doing my schoolwork.  But you gave us ways to cope.  You gave us hope.  Now my boat can float again.

The big reason Pediatric Care is so important is that you don’t just help kids going through HIV.  But it’s also because we live in bad neighborhoods and see lots of bad things happen all the time.  Somehow you always keep an open mind.  You give us a safe, positive atmosphere, with real friends, expose us to all sorts of great things we would not get otherwise – trips, people, therapy, workshops, art, parties.  Really, what you give us is a home away from home, a place to get away from all the stress.  Plus you give us a place where we can be around other kids in the same situation, kids dealing with HIV.  Everybody understands and we don’t feel weird about it for once.

If there is a problem with Pediatric Care it’s that it ends one day, when you turn 18.  The people I met I will never forget."

Survey response by Judy, age 8:
Would you want to be in group again?

"Yes, because it was lots of fun. We got to express ourselves. We got to do art and I love art. I love when people tell me I do a good job."

Comments by Elsa, age 9:
"I think this program is wonderful. I have gotten nothing but understanding. You have love for us. The only thing that I can say – don’t change a thing. We need more programs like this. Keep up the good work. I take my hat off to you. May God bless you."

Views by Jason, age 11:
"I can relax and be myself at Pediatric Care. It’s a place to get away and keeps us off the street. The staff is really nice and understanding - you treat us with respect. You make us laugh. You help us out with our problems, it’s never boring, and I learned to calm down."

A prayer by Sam, age 6:
"I, Sam, pray to God that my Mommy will talk to me in my dreams and say nice things to me. I love God for waking me up every morning. I pray to God to keep my Grandma healthy and happy. I pray to God to keep me safe and to love me. Please keep my friends safe too."

A comment by Iselde, a parent:
"What makes your program so special is all the care and attention.  You get what we’re going through.  Obviously, when you are going through this, everything is not alright.  Simply put, I don’t know how I would have survived without Pediatric Care.  For the kids, the art therapy is making the biggest difference, now they’re talking about what is hard.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for helping me and my family begin the healing process. You have made us all better people.  If every individual had that support and insight, we wouldn’t have the problems in the world today.  Thank you for giving us what we need."

A Letter from Linda, a grandmother of one of our children:
As a grandparent facing the demands of parenting a second time, this new role is showing me physical, emotional, social, legal, and financial challenges, which were not present when I was raising my own children.  Just when I believed my child rearing was done, I find myself parenting again.  At the very beginning, the difficulties appeared with my grandchildren obsessive behavior, irrational outbursts, wild fears, growing pains, and irritability over the smallest issues.  I felt that the situation was too much and had resentment towards the mother for thrusting the responsibility on me.  Then came Pediatric Care and Family Ties.  The support, counseling, friendship and the understanding I received from them has help me realize I can be a great grandmother raising my grandchildren with their multiple unresolved losses.

Pediatric Care and Family Ties provided me with strength in my parenting skills to meet the challenges my family is facing, both within our home and within society.  Our discussions have brought peace and order back into my life; the needs of my grandchildren who have lost so much; provided space for me and the children to breath; and guide and support for me with the unbearable legal system.

Bottom line at the beginning I was lost and with their support and love for my grandchildren, and me, I feel this is an important avenue for an outreach, which is very much appreciated.

Thank you so much.

A college application essay by Jerome, a Pediatric Care graduate. Jerome attends Curry College in Milton, MA.
I was born in Washington, DC on January 20, 1987. My father left when I was very young. My mother took care of me, my younger brother and my older brother. I found out that my mother was infected with HIV when I was in the 10th grade. My younger brother was also born with the virus. As a young kid I didn’t understand how sick my brother was. When he was young he basically lived in the hospital.

I was born in Southeast Washington, DC but my family moved several times; we moved seven times, to be exact. Growing up in DC was very hard especially when we moved so many times. I could never make friends at school because we were always moving. People from out-of-town may look at DC and see the White House and all of the monuments. I see the bad side of DC. I grew up around drugs, poverty, and murder. Most of the public schools in DC are inferior and in need of repair.

In junior high school I was able to make some friends because I stayed there all three years (grades 7th, 8th, and 9th). In junior high I was always one grade away from making the Honor Roll. When I graduated from junior high, it was both a happy and a sad day. My friends and I were all going to different high schools.

My first year of high school was very hard. Instead of starting high school as a ninth grader, I started as a tenth grader because the junior high I attended went up to 9th grade. I had to make a quick adjustment to high school. My 10th and 11th grade years were probably the worst two years of my life. My mother’s sister passed away and she was my mother’s best friend. When Aunt Connie died, my mother began to get very sick. She had her HIV under control but high blood pressure, congestive heart failure and diabetes began to affect her.

When my mother got sick it was hard for our entire family. My older brother was away at college, so my little brother and I had to step up and do a lot of things. We had to do things like cook, clean, grocery shop, wash clothes. My mother was disabled and always in pain so we had to help her too. We had to help her in and out of the bathtub, help her dress, get her medicine and change her portable toilet. If there was ever a time I thought I needed a father, it was during my 10th and 11th grade years. I didn’t know how to be a man and do the things they can to help around the house. Through the struggle I think I gained a better understanding of what it takes to be a man.

I was confused and depressed. My younger brother’s social worker recommended I talk to a counselor about all of the things I was experiencing. It took a lot of courage for me to say yes. My counselor, Michelle Palmer, helped me realize that my Mom’s illness was not my fault. She helped me gain more confidence in myself. The main thing she helped me to learn was how to speak my mind, and with respect.

One of the things I did to get away from all of my family’s problems was to play football. I didn’t play organized football, but I did play street football and it is a serious game. It was always fun to play football and to spend time with my close friends. I’m really in love with football. I don’t know if I will play professional football, but I hope that my career will be connected with this sport in some way.

When my 12th grade year started I found my drive to learn again. My mother was getting better so I didn’t have to worry as often about her. I got my first job so that I could have money in my pocket and help my mother a little bit with the household bills. I began to realize how blessed I am. My family has been blessed to have people in our lives who care about us, people who gave us food and support. I look at other people’s living situations and realize that I am very fortunate. Most kids I know do not graduate from DC public schools.   They either get pregnant, addicted to drugs, or some get a full-time job to help pay the household bills. Most of my friends don’t have the money to go to college, so they don’t see the purpose of graduating from high school. I’m really blessed to even be writing this essay. I can’t wait to start this new chapter in my life.