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People in the United States are dying on AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAP).  We need to urge the president to continue to fund these, and he must hear from you to make it happen.  If you have a moment, follow one of these two easy steps (thanks to Dab “the AIDS Bear” Garner for posting this on Facebook!).

1. Call the White House at 202-456-1111 and leave the following message:

“My name is _________ and I am calling today to urge President Obama to provide $126 million in emergency funding for the AIDS Drug Assistance Programs. These programs provide life-saving medications to HIV-positive individuals who have no other access to care. However, nearly 1,000 HIV-positive individuals are on waiting lists to receive their medications. Please take action to address the crisis.”

2. Or email AIDSpolicy@who.eop.gov the same to the Office of National AIDS Policy.

I bookended my email with some personal information, beginning with: “My name is Shawn Decker, and I am a happily married, 34 year old man living with HIV.  I’m alive because, after living with HIV since age 11, I was able to have access to HIV drugs when I needed them in 1999.  In most other countries, I would have died from AIDS-related causes at the age of 23.”  After including the info above, I ended with: “It saddens me that we have lost people on these waiting lists. Those waiting today need your help, Mr. President, and they need it now.”

If you’ve been the beneficiary of receiving timely HIV treatment that helped you, definitely mention that.  Even if you haven’t, those on the waiting lists will be extremely grateful if you take action today.

Positively Yours,
Shawn

PS... it’s important that they hear from us by Friday!  Also check out the ADAP Advocacy Association

Shawn’s Sick Days in 2010: 8  Shawn’s book    Decker’s Daily Coffee

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