World AIDS Day

Every fourteen seconds, a child is orphaned by AIDS somewhere in the world.

Every fourteen seconds.

On this World AIDS Day, I’d like to add a face to this statistic.

I’ve traveled all around the world, documenting the AIDS crisis. I have shot stories about how AIDS has torn the fabric of communities, shattered families, and left millions of children without parents. Every interview is difficult. Every story is heartbreaking.

But this week in Cambodia, I listened to a story that reached straight into my heart, and pulled with all its might. Maybe it was the sadness in Tot Pok’s his eyes as he remembered time spent with his mother, or maybe it was the determination in his voice when he talked about how he’s getting back on his feet, with the help of World Vision donors. I’m not sure. But I do know that the next time I hear this statistic - every 14 seconds a child is orphaned by AIDS, I will see the face of Tot.