Child A.i.d.s. Virus Victim To Live In N.z. (Press, 26 April 1986)
This is a Generative AI summary of this newspaper article. It may contain errors or omissions. Please note that the language in the summary is reflective of the original article and the societal attitudes of the time in which it was written.
Summary: Child A.i.d.s. Virus Victim To Live In N.z. (Press, 26 April 1986)
On April 22, 1986, it was reported that the parents of a three-year-old girl, Eve Van Grafhorst, who has Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), have decided to relocate from Australia to New Zealand due to the hostility they faced in their community. The family has been living in a small town in New South Wales called Gosford since Eve's condition was diagnosed after she contracted the virus from a blood transfusion at birth. Despite assurances from local health officials that Eve posed no health risk to others, the family experienced significant social exclusion and discrimination. Mrs Gloria Van Grafhorst recounted distressing incidents where neighbours reacted aggressively towards them, such as spitting at her, making attempts to harm their pet dog, and constructing a high fence to prevent Eve from interacting with local children. In contrast, the support and kindness offered to them in New Zealand were markedly different, with Mrs Van Grafhorst noting that they felt welcomed and treated with humanity by people they did not know. A fundraising campaign named "Life For Eve" was initiated in New Zealand shortly after the family’s announcement, successfully raising over $A5,000 to assist with their relocation costs within hours. Mrs Van Grafhorst suggested that New Zealanders seem better informed about the realities of AIDS and more accepting, which is a stark departure from the attitudes they've encountered in Gosford. Eve herself showed a cheerful disposition despite her medical challenges, which include swollen lymph nodes and a low blood platelet count. Her situation had led to her being banned from kindergarten because many parents were unwilling to allow their children to associate with her. The family's move is seen as a hopeful step towards finding a more supportive community for Eve and themselves.
Important Information
The text on this page is created, in the most part, using Generative AI and so may contain errors or omissions. It is supplied to you without guarantee or warranty of correctness. If you find an error or would like to make a content suggestion please get in contact
The text on this page is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 New Zealand