Featured

Tahara Lawson, a 10-year-od Champion Fighting HIV Stigma

Published

9 years ago

December 3, 2014

Fighting HIV stigma can seem daunting for people living with HIV, especially when having to confront deeply ingrained fears and taboos. But imagine what it is like for a child who is born with HIV who has to deal with that pernicious ignorance as she grows up.

At present, there are about 2 million children around the world living with HIV. Here in the United States new infections in children are rare due to anti-retro viral medications (ARVs) interventions in prenatal care.

Since 2007 there has not been a child born who is HIV positive in Alameda or Contra Costa County due to 1996 guidelines for testing every woman for HIV when pregnant, offering them treatment for their own care.

This prevents transmission to the child. This has changed everything.

Yet for Tahara Lawson, the change came too late. In 2004 before those guidelines were in place, Tahara was born with HIV, which she contracting from her mother who was unaware of her status.

The child is one of 50 children who are currently being seen and treated at Children Hospital HIV/AIDS clinic in Oakland. The hospital saw its first HIV baby in 1983 and established the clinic in 1986, offering counseling to the whole family on living with HIV and the stigma that it carries.

“All children at some point need to know why they are coming to the doctor and what they are being treated for,” said Teresa Courville, RN, MN, who works in the clinic.

“Disclosure occurs at different times depending on the child’s maturity and chronological age,” she said. “We talk about privacy issues and warn that many people still lack the education, and there’s still a lot of fear and stigma.”

The hospital doe not promote or discourage disclosure but tries to make sure the families know the pros and cons.

Tahara, now 10 years old, is fast becoming a powerful advocate fighting stigma and discrimination in her own way.

She wrote a book for children telling them how she feels, “Just Like You,” in which she talks about her experience of living with HIV and the stigma that she and her family has had to endure.

“Please look at me and see that I have hopes and dreams just like you,” she wrote in her new book, which will be a tool for an online pen pal club where HIV positive children from all over the world can write to each other.

Tahara was six when her guardian, her biological grandmother Marilyn Lawson, started having discussions with her about HIV and why some people treated her differently. Not only did Lawson educate Tahara, she involved the whole family, and they started The Tahara Lawson Foundation, which holds a health event each year.

“There are too many kids who are afraid. By letting her speak out, and with me by her side, I believe that it will change things,” said Lawson.

“Tahara is already touching the community. There are 20 children living in the complex where t (we) live that are HIV positive and won’t tell anyone, but they talk to Tahara,” said Lawson.

For information go to: http://taharalawsonfoundation.org/

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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

2 days ago

April 26, 2024

Oakland Post

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Alameda County

DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland

Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.

Published

6 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones

Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.

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City Government

Vallejo Welcomes Interim City Manager Beverli Marshall

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10. Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Published

6 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

Beverli Marshall began her first day with the City on April 10. ICMA image.

Special to The Post

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10.

Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Current City Manager Michael Malone, whose official departure is slated for April 18, expressed his well wishes. “I wish the City of Vallejo and Interim City Manager Marshall all the best in moving forward on the progress we’ve made to improve service to residents.” Malone expressed his hope that the staff and Council will work closely with ICM Marshall to “ensure success and prosperity for the City.”

According to the Vallejo Sun, Malone stepped into the role of interim city manager in 2021 and became permanent in 2022. Previously, Malone served as the city’s water director and decided to retire from city service e at the end of his contract which is April 18.

“I hope the excellent work of City staff will continue for years to come in Vallejo,” he said. “However, recent developments have led me to this decision to announce my retirement.”

When Malone was appointed, Vallejo was awash in scandals involving the housing division and the police department. A third of the city’s jobs went unfilled during most of his tenure, making for a rocky road for getting things done, the Vallejo Sun reported.

At last night’s council meeting, McConnell explained the selection process, highlighting the council’s confidence in achieving positive outcomes through a collaborative effort, and said this afternoon, “The Council is confident that by working closely together, positive results will be obtained.”

While the search for a permanent city manager is ongoing, an announcement is expected in the coming months.

On behalf of the City Council, Mayor McConnell extended gratitude to the staff, citizen groups, and recruitment firm.

“The Council wishes to thank the staff, the citizens’ group, and the recruitment firm for their diligent work and careful consideration for the selection of what is possibly the most important decision a Council can make on behalf of the betterment of our City,” McConnell said.

The Vallejo Sun contributed to this report.