Augusta, Georgia
Positive since 1985

I am a 61-year-old black man who was diagnosed HIV positive in March 1985. Since then I have had my good days as well as my bad days. But through it all I am still living and healthy.

There was one time in 1995 when my viral load was very high (750,000) and my CD4 count was low (150) and I thought I might die. But I know God has plans for me so he did not allow that to happen.

I had been taking AZT for the past five years. I soon received my first cocktail, which is what the the group of meds were called at that time. I took five pills three times a day. Three months later my labs revealed that my viral load was down to 1,000.

Over the years I have been on numerous meds, and today I am undetectable. In March 2015, I will be 30 years positive. I believe I have an obligation to speak out and comfort those who are newly diagnosed and let them know that they only have HIV—HIV doesn’t have them. I am living proof. Today, there are all sorts of education material available and people to talk to about HIV/AIDS.

What three adjectives best describe you?
Alive, healthy and eager to help others deal with being HIV positive

What is your greatest achievement?
Being a longtime survivor

What is your greatest regret?
Getting infected

What keeps you up at night?
I sleep very well at night except when I wake up with dry mouth.

If you could change one thing about living with HIV, what would it be?
Being able to do things that being positive won’t allow physically

What is the best advice you ever received?
Forget about the past and focus on the future because God has a plan for me

What person in the HIV/AIDS community do you most admire?
HIV/AIDS activists

What drives you to do what you do?
Willingness to help others

What is your motto?
We are not dying from HIV/AIDS, we are only living with it.

If you had to evacuate your house immediately, what is the one thing you would grab on the way out?
My meds