The night before I started tenth grade my mother called and
gave me the worst news of my life; my grandmother was diagnosed HIV positive
and from that moment, my entire family lives changed. A little over three years
later my aunt Danielle was forced to tell me what she couldn't my grandmother
had lost her fight with AIDS. Once again, my family’s lives were changed.
Twenty years ago AIDS was a death sentence, but there have been remarkable
strides in awareness, education, research and treatment that have reduced rates
of new infections and provided a better quality of life to many of those
fighting this deadly virus.
Two years before my grandmother’s diagnosis, Magic Johnson
revealed to the world that he was HIV positive and nearly 22 years later, he
continues his fight to educate the world while he’s created an empire away from
sports. Magic’s story is not my grandmother’s story. Nor is it the story most of
the one million people living in America with HIV or AIDS. The fear attached to
HIV/AIDS has decreased through the years; in part because of the triumphs Magic
has continued to achieve since his announcement and partly because of the
advancement in treatment through the years. We've grown through the infantile
stages of the virus and for some reason the stigma associated with it seems to
have dissipated with the years. Yes, people with HIV and AIDS are living
longer, but that’s no cause to continue to engage in the high-risk activity
that may expose you to the disease.
According to the CDC, there were 80,000 new cases of
HIV/AIDS in 2011 and African-Americans accounted for half of the newly HIV
infected. For our community, the fight never ends; we must continue to educate
ourselves and others about the dangers of HIV and AIDS, as well as continue to
be a voice in the conversations about awareness, research and treatment. Organizations
and websites such as, Greatherthan.org, AIDS.org, UNAIDS.org, the Red Cross and
any thousand others are valuable resources to arm yourself with the latest
stats, research and ways for you to get involved.
My family has continued the fight we started with my
grandmother twenty years ago and subsequently other family members by starting the Delia Mae Gordon AIDS Foundation,
through which we intend to raise awareness and money for research and
education. Tomorrow (May 5th), we’re participating in New Jersey
AIDS Walk 2013 and we’re asking for your help. You can join the thousands
walking through Branch Brook Park in Newark or the remaining locations
(Atlantic City, Asbury Park, Morristown or Ridgewood), find an AIDS Walk near
you at AIDSwalk.net or support our team here. Additionally, you can spread the
word and live responsibly, be most importantly, do something!
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