Hope, Acceptance at Honduras AIDS Clinic

HONDURAS - The AIDS epidemic has killed 25 million people worldwide in 25 years. What are Christians doing to help? CBN News reports on a clinic that's ministering in one of the poorest countries - Honduras. It's one of Central America's smallest countries, but 60 percent of the region's AIDS population lives in Honduras. AIDS is the second-leading cause of death here, and for women in their child-bearing years it's the number one killer. For example, Lorena discovered she was HIV positive when her husband fell sick. She was devastated. She said, "At first we thought there was no hope, but then we found out about treatment, a support group and other people living with HIV." Lorena found medical care at a Christian clinic, Solidaridad y Vida. More importantly, she found a home. For many women at the clinic, having HIV means rejection on many levels. Although it's illegal, many employers refuse to hire them. And many of their families refuse to associate with them. For Lorena, her family's rejection is especially painful. "They don't know how HIV is transmitted," Lorena said. "They think if they hug or eat in the same place they can get it too." Lorena's faith and her son keep her going. She said, "I want to fight to see him grow and studying and being a successful man." Doctor Enoc Padilla founded Solidaridad y Vida with the support of his church. "It's not only the physical," he said. "The spiritual is so important." Padilla's committed to providing complete care for his patients, for physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. Part of that is support groups like this one. Myra is a regular at the center. Like many HIV patients, she has struggled to find work. "We're always rejected and suffer discrimination," she explained. Even with a job now, she's unable to afford many foods that many would consider staples. "Milk for us is like being in heaven," Myra said. "It's very expensive." Poverty makes a huge difference in the fight against AIDS. For instance, it's not enough to get just life-saving anti-viral drugs. Patients must also take nutritious food with each treatment. Padilla estimates that more than 70 percent of his patients worry about getting enough to eat. Eorking on a shoe-string budget, Padilla tries to provide adequate care for a fragile population. Most of his patients receive AIDS drugs from the government, but many of these are older drugs, and the clinic has little access to the most effective, newer ones. With few resources, these women know they face a David and Goliath battle against an epic disease. For them, faith in Christ is the only sure thing. "I trust in Jesus," Myra said. "I hope I'll live for a long time and for that reason I take care of myself."