The "Steve Grissom Relief Fund Bill" is now in the House of Representatives
(Steve Grissom Relief Fund Act of 2003 (Introduced in House)[H.R.2837.IH]
2 . Steve Grissom Relief Fund Act of 2003 (Introduced in Senate)[S.1536.IS]
). This is the bill that compensates the "HIV transfusion" community
the way Ricky Ray compensated the hemophilia community. I am asking for your
support in this bill.
Thank you Trish for the
info on this bill. without you I would not have hosted this page to get as much
support for transfusion victims.
I dedicate this section of my site to Both Trish (who sent me the human rights act of H.R. 5299, as well as many updates on issues pertaining to HIV/AIDS Hemophilia which I would normally have a hard time getting) and to one of my best friends in the world Linda who was diagnosed HIV+ over 17 years ago after undergoing a very extensive operation where she received a lot of blood from the national blood supply. She is not only a great friend to this day, but a wife, mother of two and grandmother. She dedicates her life to helping fighting for the rights of ALL people living with HIV/AIDS and the education of teens on prevention. It is a gift from god to have her in my life.
| Obituary: Steve Grissom, Battler on
HIV Blood Atlanta Journal-Constitution 08.02.02 Steve Grissom undertook the challenge of persuading Congress to pay restitution to people who, like him, contracted HIV from tainted blood, but did not live to see his legislative goal realized. Grissom, 52, died last Wednesday at his home in Gary, N.C. He contracted HIV from a blood transfusion during treatment for leukemia in 1985. A bill in Congress, the Steve Grissom Relief Fund Act of 2002, was introduced in the Senate in April by Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.), who frequently cited Grissom's circumstances in speeches calling for health care reforms. The bill would establish payments to about 12,000 people who contracted HIV from contaminated blood transfusions between July 1, 1982, and Dec. 31, 1987. A similar bill compensating hemophiliacs who contracted AIDS passed in 1998 but excluded patients such as Grissom. In 1997, Grissom founded the National Association for Victims of Transfusion-Acquired AIDS. Grissom is survived by his wife, three daughters and a son. |
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Statistics of why this act is so important.
Blood banks began to test the national blood supply (VERY RELUCTANTLY) in 1985. The first cases of AIDS were reported in 1980. in 1981 the CDC fought with every last breath to have the blood supply and donors tested for Antibodies found in AIDS patients, and strongly showed that the hepatitis B test was 85% accurate in diagnosing antibodies in someone infected with AIDS. The blood banks, FDA (food and drug association) refused to test the blood up until 1985. It was not cost effective. even though babies with transfusions were diagnosed to have AIDS, and their donors had or died of AIDS, this was not enough proof, and the "death toll" was very low. At very heated meeting in 1983, while the CDC was trying to have the blood supply tested (many who attended this meeting still today phrase it as "that horrible meeting") A very well founded person representing the CDC screamed across a table to the political figures who run these originations of our blood supply " How many people do you need to die before you start testing the blood? Give us a number so we do not bore you". 2 years later we began testing the blood supply. Every member of the blood industry knew this was in the blood supply, but the bottom line was, they said "prove it with scientific evidence" in 1985 this was done, but by then hundreds if not thousands in the United states had been infected. The numbers above DO NOT include all of the victims that were infected from blood products that were Hemophiliacs. The reason they are not included in this section is NOT because it is it not as equally important. The reason is that this bill only includes those who were infected from blood transfusions. A bill (The Ricky Ray compensated the hemophilia community.) has already been passed for those who were infected. It is time to make sure the blood transfusion victims are also compensated for has happened to them, their families, friends and loved ones.
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The blood industry was adequately warned of the risks of HIV in the blood
supply early enough. The transfusion HIV patients were victims. j |