Hallandale Beach, Florida
Positive since 1997

I was born HIV positive to an HIV-positive mother in 1990. I was not diagnosed until 1997 (the same time as my mother), at the young age of seven. My mother passed away four years later.

Aside from growing up without my mother and father and finding out I was HIV positive at 15, I had an OK life. At least I did until I decided to break up with my very first girlfriend.

My ex and her new girlfriend thought it would be a great idea to tell anyone who would listen about my positive status. I was 18 years old at the time. They will never know the pain and depression they brought into my life by outing my status to what felt like the entire Broward and Dade counties of Florida.

I met a lot of people who accepted my status, but I met even more people who were negative and ignorant. I am beautiful and positive so I think other girls used that as a reason to drag me through the mud. They lacked confidence in themselves. I tried to deny my status by telling people, “No, it’s not true." But I would always tell anyone I dated, “Yes it’s true, but give me a chance.”

I met people who supported me until we were no longer together and then they would spread my HIV-positive status like wildfire. I met people who would accept me in private and disown me in public. I made the horrific mistake of falling in love with one of those individuals.

Now I am advocating for people living with HIV and hoping to help others like me see that it is OK to date. It’s safe to date. Even when I wanted to lie about my status, I knew the only way to be with someone was to give that person the option of being with me by disclosing my status. I knew that in order to be in a healthy sexual relationship with someone, that person would first need to know my status and be able to make their own choice to love and have sexual relations with me.

My hope is to get negative individuals to understand that HIV is no longer a death sentence and people with this disease must be accepted. You may choose not to date a HIV-positive person but that does not mean you should spread hatred and ignorance about the disease. Ignorance and hatred is what keeps people like me quiet and in denial, which keeps the virus and disease infecting new individuals.

What three adjectives best describe you?
Friendly, compassionate and loving

What is your greatest achievement?
Speaking to my very first group of individuals and informing them of my status

What is your greatest regret?
Not being brave enough to advocate sooner

What keeps you up at night?
Knowing that my county is number one in new HIV infections. And not seeing enough information publicly to make us greater than AIDS

If you could change one thing about living with HIV, what would it be?
The stigma

What is the best advice you ever received?
“Be true to you.”

What person in the HIV/AIDS community do you most admire?
My doctor because she takes all of her patients under her wing and tells us what no one else tells us about the rest of the world

What drives you to do what you do?
Knowing that I know dozens of HIV positive individuals who have sex with individuals without disclosing their status because they are afraid of being alone or others finding out

What is your motto?
“Be true to you.”

If you had to evacuate your house immediately, what is the one thing you would grab on the way out?
My daughter and I hope my wife would be running closely after us

If you could be any animal, what would you be? And why?
A Lion. Because they are fearless