In my district in Walnut Creek, California, we are conspicuously aware of our need to practice what we preach about preventive health care. We use the state's Healthy Kids curriculum, and all students are versed on avoiding blood to blood contact. Teachers take latex gloves to playground duty and keep a pair in their desks. Many staff members have completed Red Cross first-aid and CPR training, and our School Advisory Committee has sponsored two HIV/AIDS information nights for the community. None of these important activities would be taking place if not for one young girl and her important news: she is HIV positive.
It was two years ago that Joan Milne notified me and several other school officials that her daughter, a 3rd grader in my elementary school, was HIV positive. The child, Melissa, was thinking about telling her friends—and the public—about her condition. Though Melissa's mother had known about her daughter's condition for more than four years, Melissa had only just learned about how she had received a tainted transfusion when she was seven days old, before there were safeguards for the blood supply. Melissa saw her classmates' interest and positive sentiments during health lessons on AIDS, and her desire to tell them about her condition grew stronger.
While the district laid the groundwork for sharing this information, we wanted to keep Melissa's news confidential. Obviously, her rights had to be protected, and the health and safety of other children and adults needed to be assured. We also wanted to maintain a positive school climate following her announcement.
We privately alerted the district's governing board and staff at all schools that a child with the AIDS virus was attending a school within the district. Our district already had an HIV/AIDS policy in line with the county health regulations, stating that the virus is not spread through casual contact and that a student with HIV does not put others at risk as long as certain health precautions are followed.
The County Director of Health visited all schools in the district to explain HIV and its implications for staff members. First-aid training stressing health precautions was given at several schools, including mine. And from January through May, staff and students at my school began to be more careful about accidents involving blood, though not to the extent of alarming anyone. We also gave more attention to age-appropriate and approved instruction about HIV/AIDS in health, science, and social studies.
- All interviews at school had to be cleared through me.
- No students were to be interviewed or televised, not in the classroom, hallway, or playground. When a television reporter said he could easily go off the school grounds to film, I countered that the station would then receive no further news from us. No film was shot.
- We agreed that a community meeting about Melissa's condition was not open to the press, nor could it be taped. However, reporters were welcome to interview anyone following the meeting.
We informed the staff in my school specifically of Melissa's immune deficiency, and we discussed our feelings and fears—along with our commitment to keep the issue confidential until Melissa spoke to her class. Together, staff members reviewed my draft of a letter to parents and our administrative plan. We also began to reeducate ourselves about HIV/AIDS and prepare for the tough questions ahead.
I also spoke privately with a few parent leaders including the Parent Club President, District Nurse, and District Health Advisor. They and others proved to be influential, positive links to the community. Because we kept them informed, the grapevine worked strongly to our advantage.
On a Friday, Melissa invited her mom and me to be with her teacher and class as she told them about the virus. Her classmates were startled, questioning, concerned, and caring. When Melissa was asked if she was going to die, she said, “No, I am having too much fun.” After lots of hugs, Melissa told her friends she was leaving for Washington, D.C., and the First National Children with HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.
That afternoon, all students took home a sealed envelope containing my letter, which explained our concerns and offered assurances for Melissa and everyone at school. The letter also related the district and county policy on HIV/AIDS and detailed how Melissa contracted her infection. Parents were invited to an information meeting about HIV/AIDS the next week. To emphasize the importance of the letter, students wrote their parents' names and “IMPORTANT” on the envelope.
At the information meeting, a full house heard from district and county officials and medical personnel, including Melissa's own doctor. At the meeting, we pledged to develop a list of tips for a healthy school, which we circulated in September (see fig. 1).
Figure 1
Schoolchildren Will Not Get HIV/AIDS from the Following: Playing with other children... Touching other children...Coughing, sneezing, or spitting...Drinking fountains...A hug...A closed-mouth kiss...Sweat or tears...Mosquitoes or other insects...Eating food prepared or served by someone infected with the virus
Children Will Not Get HIV/AIDS from Using the Following: Toilet or shower facilities... Forks, knives, spoons, or cups... Chairs, desks, tools, or phones... Playground equipment or pools
Melissa didn't return to school after her announcement because it came so close to the end of the school year and she was at the National Conference. Though everything went smoothly throughout Melissa's announcement, her mother was wary about protesters at Melissa's first day back at school in the fall. I assured her there had been no evidence of that, and, in fact, Melissa began 4th grade without incident. She's now a strong, contented young girl enrolled in 5th grade.
In the end, it was better that we knew of Melissa's infection. At least 200 children in our San Francisco area communities are infected with HIV, but since 1987, Melissa is the only student who has gone public with her story.
I attribute our success with Melissa's announcement to our community's enlightenment and education; good sense and trust prevailed. Though we had no script to follow, we were able to gather our resources, communicate positively, and remain constant in our purpose to safeguard Melissa and others in the school. Whatever specific circumstances other administrators face, those actions can remain the same.
