A group of Americans is taking part in a hike to raise funds for research into a cure for Aids
Susan Colby
A group of 150 United States Aids activists will hike through the Cedarberg in the Western Cape, in an attempt to raise funds for the development of a vaccine against Aids. Each hiker hopes to raise $10 000.
The six-day hike, from April 2 to 8, is arduous and involves trekking through passes as high as 1 400m. Participants will pass by ancient San rock paintings, giving them glimpses of South Africa’s past.
Funds raised will be donated to health organisations working in South Africa and to the Aaron Diamond Research Centre, the Emory Vaccine Centre and UCLA Aids Centre.
Diverse reasons motivate the hikers. “I had an uncomfortable, restless feeling that I should do something. I have had a healthy dose of how much better we have it in the US compared to the problems these people suffer in Africa,” said Teri Swanek of Wisconsin.
Well-known in the San Francisco area, Richard Apodaca, an Aids activist who has been HIV-positive for 18 years, will also be hiking. He is involved with the African Aids Network, a group of doctors who treat the afflicted in South Africa. Apodaca has been instrumental in getting out-of-date Aids drugs from California sent to clinics in South Africa.
“The Aids crisis continues to devastate the continent of Africa, leaving little hope for the poor who do not have access to the drug cocktails that are saving lives here in the United States,” said Apodaca. “I’m fortunate enough to have access to these medications. Our group is bringing hope in the form of funding research for an Aids vaccine that will help prevent even further infections and stop this deadly disease in its tracks.”
The list of participants is long and includes two-time Emmy winner Judith Light, who is known to TV audiences for her portrayal of Angela Bower on the hit series Who’s The Boss? Light recently completed a run off-Broadway in Athol Fugard’s latest play Sorrows and Rejoicings.
“I’m part of the human race. Before I’m an American or anything else I am part of the global family and our global family needs help on many fronts. This is something small I can do to help bring some healing to the family,” said 51-year-old Kathleen P Ralston of Maryland.
Patti Wetzel, a physician, became HIV-positive after a needle-stick in the course of her practice. “Prior to my needle-stick, I was dedicated to the HIV cause for my patients. After I became infected my motivation to help those living with HIV only intensified.”
Patti has been public with her HIV status, providing HIV education to thousands of people, ranging from school children to college student, religious organisations and the medi-cal community.
She said: “In more ways than one, HIV is my life.” She continued: “I have had the advantage of having access to excellent medical care and a wonderfully supportive circle of friends and family. I cannot even begin to imagine living with this disease in a developing country.”
Swanek (31) works in medical software. She has visited South Africa and Kenya in the past and her visit affected her profoundly. She said, “I have heard stories about doctors in Africa denying that Aids exists. A relative of my guide the last time I was in Africa died of Aids and the funeral was while I was there. Since this last trip to Africa .”
Another doctor, Christine Zurawski says she doesn’t feel that she has done enough, although she works with Aids patients as an infectious disease physician. “One thing that I have come to realise is that the probability that effective treatment will ever make its way to Africa is very low. I honestly believe that a vaccine is our only hope to stop the spread in Africa,” she lamented and said that she is doing the trek for her patients, “those that are still with me and those that are not … as well as all the patients that I have yet to meet.”
Don Bachman, a flight attendant for 25 years, has lost more than 50 friends to Aids, nursing many himself as well as volunteering in hospices. “When I tell people about AIDSTrek, they say ‘Well, what about Aids in America?’ I tell them that in America at least someone has a bed to die in if it comes to that. And seeing someone die from Aids is horrible, I know this. In Africa, without medication, without the comfort and without even a bed, I can’t imagine it.”
He continued: “We have so much here, and the pain and suffering they go through is so much greater. Unless we help others where it’s much worse, we won’t truly help ourselves. Especially when we have so much more to give. Good will come out of this.”