Please dress me in red
In my profession, I have worked with children who have
the virus that causes AIDS. The relationships that I have
had with these special kids have been valuable gifts in my
life. Let me tell you a story about the courage of Tyler.
Tyler was born infected with HIV from his mother. From the very beginning
of his life, he was dependent on medications to enable him to survive. At
times, he also needed supplemental oxygen to support his breathing.
Tyler wasn't willing to give up one single moment of his childhood to this
deadly disease. It was not unusual to find him playing and racing around his
backyard, wearing his medicine-laden backpack and dragging his tank of
oxygen behind him in his little wagon. Tyler's pure joy in being alive gave
him energy that caused all of us who knew him to marvel. Tyler's mom often
recognized that he moved so fast, she dressed him in red. That way, when
she peered out the window to check on him playing in the yard, she could
quickly spot him.
This dreaded disease eventually wore down even the likes of a little dynamo
like Tyler. He became quite ill and, unfortunately, so did his mother. When it
became apparent that he wasn't going to survive, Tyler's mom talked to him
and she comforted him by telling Tyler that she was dying, too, and that she
would be with him soon in heaven.
A few days before his death, Tyler beckoned me over to his hospital bed and
whispered, "I might die soon. I'm not scared. When I die, please dress me in
red. Mom promised she's coming to heaven, too. I'll be playing when she
gets there, and I want to make sure she can find me.”
- Cindy Dee Holms
Hãy mặc cho con bộ đồ màu đỏ
Công việc của tôi là chăm sóc những đứa trẻ mang trong người vi-rút gây ra
căn bệnh AIDS. Những mối quan hệ tôi có được với những đứa trẻ đặc biệt
