With over two percent of adults carrying the virus, the Caribbean has the highest HIV prevalence rate in the world after Sub-Saharan Africa. In Trinidad & Tobago 17,000 people were HIV-positive at the end of 2001 and 3,600 children had been orphaned by the disease.



Shawn's Story

Before he arrived at Cyril Ross Nursery, Shawn spent the first nine years of his life in the Children's Ward of the General Hospital in Port of Spain, the capital of Trinidad & Tobago. An HIV-positive baby, his parents abandoned him at birth.

"Shawn was among the first three children that we brought to the nursery," said Judy Nimblett, who supervises the nursery. "When he came to us he was a squalid, timid child and nobody at the nursery though he had many years left to live." However, Shawn defied all the odds. Thanks to the care and medical treatment he received, today he is a lanky 14-year-old with a studious manner, pensive eyes and a ready smile.

As the oldest child in the nursery, he serves as a role model and an older brother to many of the children and, for the last two years, he immersed himself in his personal struggle to come to terms with the fact he is HIV positive.

"I found out about HIV/AIDS when I was 12 and I've had a hard time understanding what that means for my life," said Shawn. "My biggest fear is that I will not be able to have a normal life, a wife, a child. I want a good happy life, not a sad one."

While the global epidemic of HIV/AIDS has triggered compassion, solidarity and support, the disease is also associated with stigma, repression and discrimination. Because of the stigma attached to the virus, the children who live at Cyril Ross Nursery have not always been welcome at school.

As Shawn grew older and entered adolescence, he became increasingly restless and felt confined to the nursery. He was eager to go out into the world and make new friends. Restlessness turned into depression, and he would lie for hours on his bed, staring at the wall.

"I didn't understand why I couldn't lead a normal life," he remarked. "I begged to go to school."

Shawn enrolled in a local school, but his status soon became known and his classmates' parents grew apprehensive. They refused to send their children to school as long as Shawn was there. He was told to leave.

Judy finally found one school, the Charis Christian Academy, which accepted Shawn. He was thrilled. Proudly wearing the school uniform — a crisp white shirt and grey pants — he sat in the back row of his class, intent in absorbing every bit of knowledge from his teacher. But he kept his HIV status to himself.

"I didn't know if he would be able to keep up, but he never complained," said Judy. "This was clearly something that he really wanted to do and so he didn't care how hard it was. It has made a tremendous difference for him. He has become a totally different child."

Going to school and dreaming of becoming a lawyer some day, Shawn had won his first bout with the stigma of HIV/AIDS. But he still had other challenges to face. Now that he was finally attending school he longed to make friends but was terrified of what his classmates would say or do if they found out that he was HIV positive. He lived in fear of being discovered and rejected again.

"I couldn't tell anybody that I had HIV because the whole school would have known and I would have no friends, nobody to play with," says Shawn. "Many of the children just don't understand what HIV/AIDS means."

Danny Glover was in Trinidad and Tobago filming an episode of the What's Going On TV series at the time. The episode centered on the life of children and adolescents with HIV/AIDS living in Cyril Ross Nursery. When Glover heard about Shawn's dilemma, he decided to step in. After a long conversation with Shawn, Danny sat down with his classmates for a discussion about HIV/AIDS and the people infected by it.

According to Shawn’s teacher, it was hard for the students at first, but “they slowly began to understand and now they are all his friends.”

Once he realized that he did not face certain rejection for being HIV positive, Shawn began to change. He became more outgoing and self-assured. He was now ready to speak publicly about his condition. With the help of the United Nations, Shawn, two other girls from Cyril Ross and Danny Glover went for a meeting with Trinidad and Tobago's Prime Minister Patrick Manning.

"I wanted to ask him to try and make people understand what HIV/AIDS is, how they can get infected and what treatments are available," said Shawn. "I wanted to convey what it feels like to live with the virus."

What’s Next for Shawn?

Shawn still struggles with the symptoms of HIV and the prejudices that surround the disease. But he also realizes that he has come a very long way. The scrawny child who lived in the hospital is now a self-assured young man who is not afraid to dream of a better future.

"I would like to travel the world," he said. "I would like to live long and to live happily ever after."

What Can You Do?

Start by learning more about what the UN and its agencies are is doing to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and other communicable diseases. UNAIDS works to generate global response to the epidemic, while UNICEF concentrates on advocacy for young people with HIV/AIDS. In addition, the World Bank recognizes how the illness impedes economic gains in the countries hardest hit by the disease and strives to provide much needed aid.

You can find AIDS organizations in your area of the world by going to http://www.aidsmap.com/search/orgsearch.asp. Also, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation provides information about the many ways you can become involved, through running or walking in races, or through making purchases at certain stores.