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For over a decade, The Heart Touch™ Project has been at the forefront of a movement to bring the therapeutic, curative and palliative benefits of professional bodywork to vulnerable populations through the art of compassionate massage therapy.
Since early in our existence, that care has extended to infants and children affected by HIV/AIDS. As those infected in the past fall ill, there is an increasing demand for AIDS-related medical care (palliative care and end of life care).
As we are making a difference here in the United States, we recognize the great need to expand our services on a global level. It is our mission to make a real difference and impact the lives of children who have been orphaned due to AIDS worldwide.
Orphans will often have many physical needs such as nutrition and health care, and these can often appear to be the most urgent. But they will have significant emotional needs as well as sickness and death of a parent is clearly a major trauma for any child. The emotional needs of the children must not be forgotten.
Experience has shown that orphanages fail to meet the developmental and long-term needs of children and that orphaned children benefit more from care and personal attention. And for many AIDS orphans, the only family they have is their elderly grandparents and their relationship is often difficult due to the generation gap and financial hardship. The loss of a parent is always traumatic, but the distress is intensified for many children because of the stigma, discrimination and silence associated with AIDS
We have designated Thailand as our first outreach into the Global Community.
In Thailand there are currently over 380,000 children who have been orphaned due to AIDS. Many are suffering from not only the fear and loneliness of losing their loved ones, but from the aches and pains of fighting the disease themselves. With the enormous number of children facing this horrible fate, you can only imagine that there are not nearly enough people available to care for them. Very few have a caretaker who actually has time to hold their hand when giving medicine or to offer a comforting hug. They are in desperate need of the love and comfort Heart Touch™ can provide.
There will be approximately 100 million AIDS orphans by the year 2010 and AIDS remains Thailand's leading cause of death.
Finally, through Heart Touch™ International, we are able to share this gift with the children of the world, starting in November 2006 with Thailand. While in Thailand, our group of volunteers will spend two weeks visiting a different AIDS orphanage or hospice each day. We will provide comforting compassionate touch to these infants and children and teach their caregivers to do the same. Many caregivers are quite afraid of contracting the virus and will not touch the children. We hope that by our example, we will show them the great need for this touch and that it is safe.
Our work continues to grow around the globe, as we have received invitations to bring the compassionate work of The Heart Touch™ Project to India, Africa and Cambodia. Through these small journeys, we will make great impact on the lives and future of these children.
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