Vic: New rose hybrid an AIDS symbol

AAP General News (Australia)
12-01-2000
Vic: New rose hybrid an AIDS symbol

MELBOURNE, Dec 1 AAP - A new rose hybrid was unveiled in Melbourne today as a potent
symbol in the HIV-AIDS awareness campaign.

The Hope Rose, launched to mark World AIDS Day, was commissioned by the Australian
AIDS Fund to inspire hope for sufferers of the disease.

The rose was ceremonially planted in the AIDS memorial garden at the Alfred Hospital's
Fairfield House by children whose mothers are HIV positive.

Hosted by Positive Women Victoria, a support group for women with HIV, the event was
also aimed at highlighting the fact AIDS was a disease that did not discriminate.

Positive Women director Stephanie (Stephanie) Moore said the Hope Rose would become
an inspiration for all HIV sufferers as they lived with the disease.

"Anyone who has got the virus wants to know there is hope in the future and hope for
treatment and that, at some stage, they're going to be able to lead a normal life," she
told AAP.

Ms Moore said the slogan for World AIDS Day was "Men make a difference".

But women were contracting the disease in greater numbers, which affected not only
them but their children, she said.

Two children with HIV positive mothers, Luke and Tsari (Tsari), were at the Hope Rose's launch.

Tsari, 11, said he was frightened the disease would take his mother from him.

"She was really, really sick last year," Tsari said.

"It was really, really scary.

"I just didn't know what was going to happen.

"I didn't know if I was going to have a mum."

Luke, also 11, said he and his sister had been affected by the virus in many ways.

"We help her in many ways," he said.

"Sometimes we remind her about her medicine times and we also helped her when she was
having chemo."

The Hope Rose will be sold as a fundraiser for HIV-AIDS organisations.

AAP bp/clr/mk

KEYWORD: AIDS ROSE

2000 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.