We are in this Fight Together

I wasn’t getting tested because I didn’t know about HIV and stuff, but I was using safe sex. I really got into understanding HIV and working in the field when I lost four family members to the virus: my sister, my dad, my stepmom, and my uncle.

My family stayed in church 24/7, and my dad contracted it and gave it to my stepmom by sleeping with other women behind her back. The same thing happened with my uncle. When I lost my sister, that was a hard pill to swallow. I saw her a couple of days before she passed away. It hurt, and the medicine back then wasn’t like it is now. I really didn’t know anything about HIV or STIs before all of this happened.

When I first started doing this work, I questioned God. I asked him, “Why me?” After some time, I asked him, “Why not me?” I’m a strong believer that we must educate the youth to fight this epidemic. I created the Speak Out club at a local high school. I bring guest speakers in that talk to the kids about HIV and STIs, including people that are living with the virus. The most important thing is to make sure we give them the right information.

God has opened a lot of doors that I’ve been a part of. I created my own organization called Be a Champion For AIDS-HIV Incorporated. My organization gives back to the community through scholarships and donations. Last year, we had our first-ever HIV awareness walk in West Palm Beach called Zero Stigma HIV Walk. I co-wrote a book called Life at The End of the Tunnel. It shares two stories: one of someone living with HIV and one of someone who lost family members to HIV. Its purpose is to educate the community about HIV.

God gave me this journey to make sure I don’t lose any more friends or family members on my watch. My motto is we are in this fight together. The community can end this epidemic. I’ve heard from peers that their doctors aren’t asking them to take an HIV test. That shocked me. It’s sad and hurtful because you don’t know your status unless you get tested.

Now I get tested every year on National HIV Testing Day, which is June 27th. That’s a habit of mine I maintain. I went to an HIV-focused retreat, and I learned that we all play a big role in how HIV affects the community. We just need to keep educating and supporting each other. This epidemic is not going to end any time soon unless we all come together to end it. I want to be a community hero for HIV/AIDS. I believe I am that person.