In the mid-80s, HIV/Aids terrified the world because of a lack of understanding as well as misinformation.
In April 1987, Princess Diana opened the UK's first purpose built HIV/Aids unit that exclusively cared for patients infected with the virus, at London Middlesex Hospital.
In front of the world's media, Princess Diana shook the hand of a man suffering with the illness.
She did so without gloves, publicly challenging the notion that HIV/Aids was passed from person to person by touch.
She showed in a single gesture that this was a condition needing compassion and understanding, not fear and ignorance.
John O'Reilly was a nurse on the ward at the time of the Princess of Wales' visit.
He spoke to Witness about a landmark moment in the fight against HIV/Aids.
Witness: The stories of our times told by the people who were there.
eyehate on August 31st, 2017 at 14:56 UTC »
My mother was an RN.
She was a nurse during the initial blast of AIDS cases. She told me that many patients in ICU would be dying alone because nobody wanted to touch them.
She went into a patient's room once and sat beside him and held his hand. Said he started crying and she asked what was wrong. He told her that she was the first person that treated him like he was human.
Sumit316 on August 31st, 2017 at 14:07 UTC »
For some meta context
this is the post that is on the top of the sub - https://redd.it/6x42ch
Here is an the image of her shaking hands with the Patient - http://i.imgur.com/VImL5za.jpg
Another interesting thing -
"Freddie Mercury was a great friend of hers. She would go out incognito with him to places she would have otherwise never been allowed to go. It is one of the reasons why she had a lot of compassion for gay men and AIDS victims."
TooShiftyForYou on August 31st, 2017 at 13:02 UTC »
"HIV does not make people dangerous to know. You can shake their hands and give them a hug. Heaven knows they need it. What's more, you can share their homes, their workplaces, and their playgrounds and toys."
Diana, Princess of Wales