This is both exciting and scary for me. I have never blogged before but I have something that needs to get noticed.  David and I from the grand rapids Red Project met with folks from Bethany Christian Services to talk about “Positive Parenting”, a group we hope to get started for those who are adopting HIV+ kids.  These kids come from all over the world, Haiti, Ethiopia, Rwanda and I’m sure many other places.  Parents are unsure if they want to adopt HIV+ kids because they don’t know enough about the virus and aren’t sure they can handle the responsibilities.  We will educate these parents that have already adopted and those who are thinking about adoption.  We can show them that an HIV diagnoses is not a death sentence.  I know this, because I have been living with HIV for 15 years and my son has been for 14 years (since he was born) and his doctor says there is no reason he can not live into adulthood.  That was not the case when he first arrived into our lives.  My husband and I were told he would have a life span of about 3 to 5 years.  Parents need to be aware of this and my goal is to educate them and help them realize that, yes, you can do this!  We will be bringing in doctors, pharmacists, social workers, nutritionists, and lots of expert advice, along with personal experiences of what to expect.  Do HIV+ kids need extra care?  Absolutely!  There are drugs, side effects, and social and emotional issues that they will have to deal with.  Disclosure issues, to tell or not to tell is a HUGE decision for these family’s to discuss.  I want to be there as a mentor and help them through some of these issues.  I will blog as we go along and if anyone has ideas or questions, please email me me at diane@redproject.org.  I am looking forward to hearing from you all!