
20 years ago Dr. Timothy J. Meade (MD) fondly known as Dr. Tim, was invited to Zambia after speaking at a World Health Organization HIV conference in the Netherlands. While working at Corpmed clinic in Lusaka as medical Director he volunteered with Jon Hospice where he discovered many marginalized HIV positive children who lacked medical care. His family’s first visit to Africa in March 2004 was also eye-opening for them. Dr. Tim told them that he wanted to adopt a baby boy he was caring for. During this visit, Tim took them to Jon Hospice and they were shocked to learn that the clinic had no HIV medication or morphine for the patients, both adults and children. On their way back from the clinic Tim and his parents discussed reaching out to friends and family to raise funds for medication. That simple idea grew quickly, and they decided to name the fundraiser Tiny Tim and Friends, inspired by the child Tim was about to adopt. What started as a small initiative soon became a much larger mission.
It may shock many to learn that once upon a time Tiny Tim and Friends (TTF) operated out of a single examination room provided by Corpmed, with patients waiting outside in the parking lot. Space and resources were extremely limited.
She sent the first check for $100 in October, 2004. During its infancy, TTF received support from the St. Vincent de Paul program, which took TTF under their umbrella and provided crucial support until it was able to secure its own non-profit status. For that TTF is forever grateful.
Dr. Tim’s parents, Tom and Betty Meade, or Grandpa and Grandma as they are fondly called by everyone at TTF, would join on some of the outreaches handing out suckers to the young children who were scared of getting their finger pricked.
These moments of connection and seeing the direct impact of TTF`s work are some of their favorite memories. Grandma shared that even as a young boy Tim’s empathy was evident. She recalled that once when her youngest daughter Michelle had an infection in her foot that began to spread up her leg, the doctor insisted she not put any weight on it. Tim carried her everywhere, ensuring she was never on her feet. That was just who Tim was. His dedication to helping the vulnerable children grew, and he never turned anyone away, often serving over 18 people dinner at his home each night. Witnessing his dedication firsthand inspired his family to support his mission by writing letters, raising funds, and eventually applying for a not for profit (501c3) status to formalize support for his work.