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| In March 2004 Tom and Betty Meade made a life altering trip to Zambia to see their son Dr. Tim Meade. Upon their return they wrote the following letter to their family and friends. From this small grassroots beginning, Tiny Tim and Friends has not only touched the lives of hundreds of children but also provided a way for dozens of others around the globe to make a meaningful difference in efforts to eradicate the global problems of poverty and HIV/AIDs. |
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| Dear Family and Friends, |
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| We have just recently returned from a wonderful trip to Lusaka, Zambia in Africa. We spend almost a month there with our son, Dr. Tim, and during that time we were able to visit a hospice and an orphanage with him. |
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| Conditions in the hospice were deplorable – the hospice patients were dying of AIDS with no medicine available because of the lack of funds. The orphanage has over 225 children and has an urgent need for even the most basic of medicine and supplies. The caregivers in both of these places were the most dedicated and cheerful people we’ve ever met in spite of their sad surroundings. |
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| The population of Zambia is 10 million people. At the end of 2001, 1.2 million Zambians were infected with HIV (about 1 in 5 people). Of half of these infections were in women and approximately 15,000 were in children. AIDS is killing 200 people a day and the rate is twice as high in urban areas. An estimated 100,000 will die in 2004. As a result, over half a million children are already orphaned and the figure is expected to rise to one million by 2010. Half of all Zambian children under the age of 15 have lost one parent. Three quarters of all families are caring for at least one orphan. Life expectancy at birth has dropped to 37 years. Most infected individuals are at the peak of the productive and reproductive period. Healthcare systems are overwhelmed. More than half of all hospital beds are now occupied by HIV-related cases. Without intervention these numbers will continue to rise. |
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| We left that beautiful country with such a feeling of “wanting to help” in some small way and have decided to set up a fund in which people could make donations and/or monthly pledges and the money/medicine would be distributed to several different orphanages and hospices in Lusaka, Zambia. For example, the cost of HIV medicine for one child for one month is approximately $42.00. Dr. Tim will be able to determine who as the greatest need and he will purchase the medicine and bring it directly to them. |
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| The name of the fund will be called “Tiny Tim and Friends” (for our son Tim’s eight month old foster son). The website will be updated regularly with children’s pictures and stories so that people can see as the child begins to recover and grow. There will be articles about how the medicine works and the good prognosis that comes as a result of returning people from sickness to health. |
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| We thank you for our generosity. Please keep the people of Zambia in your prayers – the need is so overwhelming and any help you can give them will be greatly appreciated. Also, feel free to pass this letter along to any other family or friends or co-workers who may be interested in helping. The more people who participate, the more children we can help. |
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| Tom and Betty Meade |