Wilmington, North Carolina
Positive since 2004

I have been positive since 2004. I found out because I used to donate blood to the American Red Cross. My blood type is O positive (the most common blood type), and I was trying to help people. The Red Cross sent me a letter saying I was positive, and so of course I had to get retested to make sure. I was. A very sad day for me.

I don’t blame anyone, because I think I could have had sex with someone who didn’t know they had it or didn’t tell me they had it. Anyway, I am good and healthy. I am on medications. I take one pill at night. It is Atripla. I’ve been going strong for almost 11 years now. I am HIV positive. I don’t have AIDS. I’m not sick.

What three adjectives best describe you?
Happy, proud, alive

What is your greatest achievement?
Finishing school

What is your greatest regret?
Not telling my grandma

What keeps you up at night?
TV and worrying about stuff

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

What is the best advice you ever received?
Keep being you.

What person in the HIV/AIDS community do you most admire?
My friend Jimmie

What drives you to do what you do?
My baby and my dreams and goals

What is your motto?
Be happy! Be proud! Be you!

If you had to evacuate your house immediately, what is the one thing you would grab on the way out?
My phone, my boyfriend and my journal

If you could be any animal, what would you be? And why?
A monkey, because I love monkeys. They can swing, jump and be free.