This letter is meant to express, in the most heartfelt way, our appreciation for the funds the College of Family Physicians of Canada raised for the Stephen Lewis Foundation. It was a most welcome surprise to us here at the Foundation to hear about the spontaneous reaction of those in attendance at Mr Lewis’ speech on November 26, 2004. Their pledge and commitment to the HIV and AIDS epidemic in Africa was outstanding.
Evident in the efforts of the Ontario Hospital Association in Lesotho and with the inspiring leadership of Dr Jane Philpott at Markham Stouffville Hospital, doctors in Ontario have heard the call for assistance and are responding. The outpouring of generosity from the College of Family Physicians of Canada, however, sparks the engagement of physicians across the country in this most pressing and devastating epidemic.
With a unique understanding of the horrors of this disease—for patients and for the families and communities they leave behind—family physicians in Canada have turned empathy into meaningful and powerful action within Canada.
The money donated to the Foundation goes directly, as promised, to the grass roots. In the great majority of projects, we wire the money right to the bank account of community-based organizations. We support orphan care and pay school fees; we support countless numbers of initiatives designed to assist vulnerable women, especially through home-based palliative care; and we actively support associations of people living with AIDS, helping them to fight stigma and to assert their human rights.
Again, please accept our most grateful appreciation.