DON'T BE SAD, GET GLAD! [DBSGG]

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The way you get meaning into your life, is to devote yourself to loving others.
Hey! We are a movement people! A positive movement!
Our goal is help bring awareness to our world and
donate our time and soul to MS, cancer,aids,depression.
We need to help people realize how many people just
like us are suffering!We also have a clothing line
where all funds are donated,not one cent of money will
ever be spent on greed. We will walk the path of the
righteous and make this world a better place for
everyone or atleast try!
We cannot grow from hate, we can no
longer carry the baggage bitterness, hate, and anger
gives us. We must grow from love, we must learn
through love, me must LOVE.
The entire concept came from when my mother told me
she has been suffering from MS for the past 17
years. For the entire time she has had MS, I among so
many had no idea for so long what it even meant. I
would of never have thought my mom could be a manic
depressive, she's my mom, she makes me so happy and is
always smiling. But little did I know she been
suffering from this disease for far too long and it's
side affects, such as depression. Her body is far too
young and her heart far too beautiful for her to feel
this old and for her body and mind to be this broken.
I would do anything to make her feel amazing everyday.
So I started this, to help people understand what
people like me, my mom and so many others go through,
and raise money to help cure a disease they say is
un-cure able. Join me and us, to make a difference.
Grow together, love together,
learn together, live together.
Multiple sclerosis is a complex disease.
While it is most often diagnosed in young adults,
aged 15 to 40, we know that it affects children, some
as young as two years old. The impact is felt by
family,friends and by the community. MS is
unpredictable,affecting vision, hearing, memory,
balance and mobility. Its effects are physical,
emotional,financial, and last a lifetime. There is NO
CURE.
Did you know ...
*Canadians have one of the highest rates of multiple sclerosis in the world.
*MS is the most common neurological disease affecting young adults in Canada.
*Every day, three more people in Canada are diagnosed
with MS.
*Women are more than three times as likely to develop MS as men.
*MS can cause loss of balance, impaired speech, extreme fatigue, double vision and paralysis.
*MS was first identified and described by a French neurologist, Dr. Jean-Martin Charcot, in 1868.
*We don't know what causes MS but researchers are closer to finding the answer.
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Depression is not something you can just "snap out
of." It's caused by an imbalance of brain chemicals,
along with other factors. Like any serious medical
condition, depression needs to be treated.
"Depression" is a term commonly applied to a wide
variety of emotional states in MS. These may range from
feeling down for a few hours on a given day to severe
clinical depression that may last for several months.
People with MS and all those closely associated with
them should be aware that depression in its various
forms is common during the course of multiple
sclerosis. In fact, studies have suggested that
clinical depression, the severest form of depression,
is more frequent among people with MS than it is in the
general population or in persons with other chronic,
disabling conditions. Depression does not indicate weak
character and it should not be considered something
shameful that needs to be hidden. Depression is not
something that a person can control or prevent by
willpower or determination. In its most severe forms,
depression appears to be a chemical imbalance that may
occur at any time, even when life is going well.
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UNDERSTAND, that you can't beat
depression on your own, we all think we can, but it's
impossible. We all need help and support, and well all
need someone to make us feel safe. DBSGG is here for
anyone that needs help. If you need to talk or even a
hug, this is why we're here, for YOU, and to help
ANYONE that needs help. There's also so many
organizations to help you, and counsellors and
therapists and there's ALWAYS us!
WE CAN BEAT AND ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING TOGETHER!
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I remember the day I woke up
to my mom crying. I was 13 years old. It was such a
weird day, it was so cold outside, such a cold spring
day. She told me "Mark's gone", and I remember saying
"whata mean gone?","He's gone buddy, he's gone to
heaven with pappa." This is was one of the most
crushing days of my life, my uncle Mark passed away. He
had contracted the HIV virus when he was 27 years old,
in 1985. But he didn't find out until spring of 1993,
it was a blessing considering he had full blown AIDS by
this time. Even though it's the year 2006 and with all
the education available from the media to the medical
profession the world is still so ignorant(lack of
knowledge). Therefore there are still so many sad souls
alienated by their family and friends leaving them to
battle this deadly virus by themselves. It makes the
world seem a bit more in-humane everyday someone faces
this life long battle alone. Why is there still such a
stigma? We all deserve to leave this world with grace
and dignity. I would like to personally thank all the
volunteers that devote their lives, time, and empathy
to this cause. I know without my family coming
together at the time my uncle most needed us, he
wouldn't of been able to leave this world happy. I
still remember the last time I saw him and he kissed my
forehead, it had been the first time he had moved in
weeks, he had been blind and incoherent, it was like
watching him fade away. To this day it has had such a
huge impact on me and my family. He was one of the
strongest men I've ever known, his heart is what kept
him with us for as long he did. He was the father I
never had, and his loss is one I'll never forget. I
find myself sitting up at night before I fall asleep
talking to him, and asking what I should do with my
life, and if I'm choosing the right path. I know he's
here for me and I know every tear me and my mom shed as
we write this, he'll be right there in heaven to greet
us and wipe them away when it's our time.
What is HIV?
HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. It is
the virus that causes AIDS. A member of a group of
viruses called retroviruses, HIV infects human cells
and uses the energy and nutrients provided by those
cells to grow and reproduce.
What is AIDS?
AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
It is a disease in which the body's immune system
breaks down and is unable to fight off infections,
known as "opportunistic infections," and other
illnesses that take advantage of a weakened immune system.
When a person is infected with HIV, the virus
enters the body and lives and multiplies primarily in
the white blood cells. These are immune cells that
normally protect us from disease. The hallmark of HIV
infection is the progressive loss of a specific type of
immune cell called T-helper, or CD4, cells. As the
virus grows, it damages or kills these and other cells,
weakening the immune system and leaving the person
vulnerable to various opportunistic infections and
other illnesses ranging from pneumonia to cancer. A
person can receive a clinical diagnosis of AIDS, as
defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), if he or she has tested positive for
HIV and meets one or both of theses conditions:
# The presence of one or more AIDS-related infections or illnesses;
# A CD4 count that has reached or fallen below 200 cells per cubic millimeter of blood. Also called the T-cell count, the CD4 count ranges from 450 to 1200 in healthy individuals.
How quickly do people infected with HIV develop AIDS?
In some people, the T-cell decline and
opportunistic infections that signal AIDS develop soon
after infection with HIV. But most people do not
develop symptoms for 10 to 12 years, and a few remain
symptom-free for much longer. As with most diseases,
early medical care can help prolong a person's life.
How many people are affected by HIV/AIDS?
The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS
(UNAIDS) estimates that there are now 40 million people
living with HIV or AIDS worldwide. Most of them do not
know they carry HIV and may be spreading the virus to
others. In the U.S., approximately one million people
have HIV or AIDS, and 40,000 Americans become newly
infected with HIV each year. According to the CDC, it
is estimated that a quarter of all people with HIV in
the U.S. do not know they are carrying
the virus.
Since the beginning of the epidemic, AIDS has
killed more than 25 million people worldwide, including
more than 500,000 Americans. AIDS has replaced malaria
and tuberculosis as the world's deadliest infectious
disease among adults and is the fourth leading cause of
death worldwide. Fifteen million children have been
orphaned by the epidemic.
How is HIV transmitted?
A person who has HIV carries the virus in certain body
fluids, including blood, semen, vaginal secretions, and
breast milk. The virus can be transmitted only if such
HIV-infected fluids enter the bloodstream of another
person. This kind of direct entry can occur (1) through
the linings of the vagina, rectum, mouth, and the
opening at the tip of the penis; (2) through
intravenous injection with a syringe; or (3) through a
break in the skin, such as a cut or sore. Usually, HIV
is transmitted through:
# Unprotected sexual intercourse (either vaginal or anal) with someone who has HIV. Women are at greater risk of HIV infection through vaginal sex than men, although the virus can also be transmitted from women to men. Anal sex (whether male-male or male-female) poses a high risk mainly to the receptive partner, because the lining of the anus and rectum is extremely thin and is filled with small blood vessels that can be easily injured during intercourse.
# Unprotected oral sex with someone who has HIV . There are far fewer cases of HIV transmission attributed to oral sex than to either vaginal or anal intercourse, but oral-genital contact poses a clear risk of HIV infection, particularly when ejaculation occurs in the mouth. This risk goes up when either partner has cuts or sores, such as those caused by sexually transmitted infections (STIs), recent tooth-brushing, or canker sores, which can allow the virus to enter the bloodstream.
# Sharing needles or syringes with someone who is HIV infected. Laboratory studies show that infectious HIV can survive in used syringes for a month or more. That's why people who inject drugs should never reuse or share syringes, water, or drug preparation equipment. This includes needles or syringes used to inject illegal drugs such as heroin, as well as steroids. Other types of needles, such as those used for body piercing and tattoos, can also carry HIV.
# Infection during pregnancy, childbirth, or breast-feeding (mother-to-infant transmission). Any woman who is pregnant or considering becoming pregnant and thinks she may have been exposed to HIV-even if the exposure occurred years ago-should seek testing and counseling. In the U.S., mother-to-infant transmission has dropped to just a few cases each year because pregnant women are routinely tested for HIV. Those who test positive can get drugs to prevent HIV from being passed on to a fetus or infant, and they are counseled not to breast-feed.
Is there a cure for AIDS?
There is still no cure for AIDS. And while new
drugs are helping some people who have HIV live longer,
healthier lives, there are many problems associated
with them:
# Anti-HIV drugs are highly toxic and can cause serious side effects, including heart damage, kidney failure, and osteoporosis. Many (perhaps even most) patients cannot tolerate long-term treatment with HAART.
# HIV mutates quickly. Even among those who do well on HAART, roughly half of patients experience treatment failure within a year or two, often because the virus develops resistance to existing drugs. In fact, as many as 10 to 20 percent of newly infected Americans are acquiring viral strains that may already be resistant to current drugs.
# Because treatment regimens are unpleasant and complex, many patients miss doses of their medication. Failure to take anti-HIV drugs on schedule and in the prescribed dosage encourages the development of new drug-resistant viral strains.
# Even when patients respond well to treatment, HAART does not eradicate HIV. The virus continues to replicate at low levels and often remains hidden in "reservoirs" in the body, such as in the lymph nodes and brain.
In the U.S., the number of AIDS-related deaths has decreased dramatically because of widely available, potent treatments. But more than 95 percent of all people with HIV/AIDS live in the developing world, and many have little or no access to treatment...