Eve van Grafhorst
Encyclopedia
Eve van Grafhorst was one of the first Australia
n children to be infected with HIV
via a blood transfusion
. She became the centre of a storm of controversy in 1985 when she was banned from her local pre-school amid fears she might infect other children.
Van Grafhorst was born prematurely
in 1982, and required eleven blood transfusions to save her life. The eleventh transfusion was contaminated, and van Grafhorst contracted HIV.
When van Grafhorst's parents attempted to enroll her in a Kincumber, New South Wales
pre-school in July 1985, the parents of other preschoolers threatened to withdraw their children, saying that young Eve posed a grave threat of infection. van Grafhorst was eventually permitted to attend school, provided she wore a plastic face-mask at all times; some parents suggested that this was not sufficient, and that the van Grafhorsts should leave town.
The van Grafhorsts did indeed leave town, moving to New Zealand
in 1986. In contrast to the ostracism they had received in Australia, the van Grafhorst family was welcomed; Eve lived a relatively normal life and attended a local school without incident.
In 1992 she received the Variety Gold Heart Award. She died in 1993, aged 11 years. Her story had been widely reported throughout the world, and on her tenth birthday, Eve was sent a letter and signed photograph from Diana, Princess of Wales
. After Eve died, her mother Gloria received a letter from Diana praising Eve for her "courage and strength".
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n children to be infected with HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
via a blood transfusion
Blood transfusion
Blood transfusion is the process of receiving blood products into one's circulation intravenously. Transfusions are used in a variety of medical conditions to replace lost components of the blood...
. She became the centre of a storm of controversy in 1985 when she was banned from her local pre-school amid fears she might infect other children.
Van Grafhorst was born prematurely
Premature birth
In humans preterm birth refers to the birth of a baby of less than 37 weeks gestational age. The cause for preterm birth is in many situations elusive and unknown; many factors appear to be associated with the development of preterm birth, making the reduction of preterm birth a challenging...
in 1982, and required eleven blood transfusions to save her life. The eleventh transfusion was contaminated, and van Grafhorst contracted HIV.
When van Grafhorst's parents attempted to enroll her in a Kincumber, New South Wales
Kincumber, New South Wales
Kincumber is a south-eastern suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, nested between the Kincumba Mountain Reserve and the local waterway and located north of Sydney via the Sydney-Newcastle Freeway...
pre-school in July 1985, the parents of other preschoolers threatened to withdraw their children, saying that young Eve posed a grave threat of infection. van Grafhorst was eventually permitted to attend school, provided she wore a plastic face-mask at all times; some parents suggested that this was not sufficient, and that the van Grafhorsts should leave town.
The van Grafhorsts did indeed leave town, moving to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in 1986. In contrast to the ostracism they had received in Australia, the van Grafhorst family was welcomed; Eve lived a relatively normal life and attended a local school without incident.
In 1992 she received the Variety Gold Heart Award. She died in 1993, aged 11 years. Her story had been widely reported throughout the world, and on her tenth birthday, Eve was sent a letter and signed photograph from Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
. After Eve died, her mother Gloria received a letter from Diana praising Eve for her "courage and strength".
External links
- Schools AIDS day - AIDS awareness event focusing on van Grafhorst's battles