Today marks the 20th commemoration of World AIDS Day. Despite nearly a quarter of a century of treatment and research, over 30 million people are currently afflicted with HIV and close to 2 million die from AIDS each year. Most worrisome is the momentum of the pandemic itself: 2008 registered nearly 3 million new cases of the disease, and only a small proportion of them are likely to receive treatment before perishing (http://www.nytimes.com/).While I may know many more people who are living with HIV/ AIDS, only one has ever really "come out" to me. He was the president before me of an LGBT organization and full of vivacity. I didn't think of his illness until he passed away after a long and painful fight. I still remember going to the wake (and passing M on the NJ Turnpike as she was heading up to NY). He was loved by so many people - there was a long line to pay our respects, the din in the room was loud with grief and stories of how much has done for everyone, pictures lined every inch of the room and there were large flower arrangements everywhere. The tragedies of this illness lie not only in the pain and misery it inflicts but also in the bright lights it takes away from us.
In memory of Richard Russo.
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