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A Positive Voice's
Growing Up as an HIV+ Child
Created on 2004-08-12 13:14:41 (#4162519), last updated 2008-01-26
743 comments received, 519 comments posted
Basic Account [Gift]
138 Journal Entries, 82 Tags, 8 Memories, 1 Virtual Gift, 6 Userpics
Basic Info| Name: | Christina |
|---|---|
| Birthdate: | 04-09 |
| Location: | Southern, California, United States |
BioIt is always hard to figure out how to begin this story. I never used to tell anyone without knowing them for at least three months. Even three months sometimes didn’t give me enough of a comfort level where I felt I could confide in them. However, I have come to realize that this is a story that must be told. This is my story, one that I cannot change, nor one I should be ashamed of. Furthermore, I have decided to use my story to raise awareness and to educate as many people as possible.
My name is Christina, and when I was about 2 ½ yrs. old, I became the first infant to be diagnosed as being HIV+ in the Florida Keys. The doctors were unsure as to whether I was perinatally infected (infected while in the womb) or by way of breast-feeding. For scientific and medical records they classified me as being perinatally infected. A short time after, when I was 3 yrs. old, my mother died from a combination of Kaposi’s Sarcoma and Pneumocystis pneumonia both are opportunistic infections brought on by a weakened immune system (in this case caused by AIDS).
I don’t remember my mother at all, but I have had plenty of other maternal figures come into my life to make up for her absence. Definitely, there has been more than my fair share of people that love and care for me. I am truly blessed in that sense, however… I have encountered a lot of prejudice as well.
My first memory was when I was living in Porter Place (a low-income housing district) with my mother. I believe it was recently after she was diagnosed as being HIV+, and before I was even tested. I was playing at the playground when the kids that I was playing with decided they couldn’t play with me because I had AIDS. Evidently, my mother had told a “friend” in the complex about her testing positive, and as rumors are apt to do, it spread like wildfire. I was chastised and chased out of the playground for reasons I wouldn’t understand until much later. This event probably had a lot to do with why I kept my medical condition such a secret all these years.
I could go on and tell my whole life story, but there is time for that. I have come to the decision to go fully public with my status in hopes of raising awareness and to educate. I understand that not everyone will accept me, but I think that I am finally at a point in my life where I am both physically and mentally strong enough to handle any negative repercussions. I am going to use this journal to document my path to public speaking and becoming involved in activism. I will also write about how my life is impacted by AIDS and how I deal with day to day things.
Ultimately I hope this may help clear away some of the stigma and open people’s eyes.
My name is Christina, and when I was about 2 ½ yrs. old, I became the first infant to be diagnosed as being HIV+ in the Florida Keys. The doctors were unsure as to whether I was perinatally infected (infected while in the womb) or by way of breast-feeding. For scientific and medical records they classified me as being perinatally infected. A short time after, when I was 3 yrs. old, my mother died from a combination of Kaposi’s Sarcoma and Pneumocystis pneumonia both are opportunistic infections brought on by a weakened immune system (in this case caused by AIDS).
I don’t remember my mother at all, but I have had plenty of other maternal figures come into my life to make up for her absence. Definitely, there has been more than my fair share of people that love and care for me. I am truly blessed in that sense, however… I have encountered a lot of prejudice as well.
My first memory was when I was living in Porter Place (a low-income housing district) with my mother. I believe it was recently after she was diagnosed as being HIV+, and before I was even tested. I was playing at the playground when the kids that I was playing with decided they couldn’t play with me because I had AIDS. Evidently, my mother had told a “friend” in the complex about her testing positive, and as rumors are apt to do, it spread like wildfire. I was chastised and chased out of the playground for reasons I wouldn’t understand until much later. This event probably had a lot to do with why I kept my medical condition such a secret all these years.
I could go on and tell my whole life story, but there is time for that. I have come to the decision to go fully public with my status in hopes of raising awareness and to educate. I understand that not everyone will accept me, but I think that I am finally at a point in my life where I am both physically and mentally strong enough to handle any negative repercussions. I am going to use this journal to document my path to public speaking and becoming involved in activism. I will also write about how my life is impacted by AIDS and how I deal with day to day things.
Ultimately I hope this may help clear away some of the stigma and open people’s eyes.
ConnectInterests (12):
∞, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, activism, aids, awareness, cd4 count, hiv, human immunodeficiency virus, protease inhibitors, public speaking, t-cells, viral load
External Services:
 | apositivevoice@livejournal.com | |
 | apositivevoice |
Schools:
Glynn Archer Elementary School - Key West, FLHorace O' Bryant Middle School - Key West, FL
Key West High School - Key West, FL (1998)
Peabody Veterans Memorial High School - Peabody, MA (1998 - 2002)
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