CBC Ottawa shares first-person experiences of those living with HIV over the decades and how they view being positive. Four Ottawans reflect on decades of living with HIV, describing the challenges, losses, and resilience they've faced.
“We were supposed to die. We didn’t die.” 4 Ottawans reflect on decades of living with HIV , CBC Ottawa shares first-person experiences of those living with HIV over the decades and how they view being positive. The 62-year-old was diagnosed with HIV in the early days of the virus, and had at one time believed his mother might outlive him.
“I didn't see much of a point because I was supposed to follow them, you know, within two months or two years … and I didn't want to go through that sadness at the time.” “Before I was taking care of ,” he said. “Now, I was sort of taking care of the community.”In 1987, Tom Jones spoke to CBC Ottawa about the recent approval of AZT, a drug to treat HIV, and the difference it would make for people like him who were living with AIDS. “We had a number of group members who lost their partners,” recalled Diana Fox, the counsellor who ran the group at Counselling and Family Services Ottawa, then Catholic Family Services Ottawa.
Paterson's weakened immune system opened her up to opportunistic infections, and doctors told her she had just months to live. Today, Paterson says her health has improved with new treatments and she's doing well. She's also glad to see a growing awareness about HIV. “Being gay in that environment was not an option,” Hannecke said. It was particularly difficult at that time.
“It was like a Mack Truck,” he said of the moment he learned he’d contracted HIV through a blood transfusion at 13 from the Red Cross. “There was a very short time where I thought about it every freaking minute of the day, from the moment I was awake until I was asleep.”Marcil says he lost a lot of friends to HIV in the early 2000s from opportunistic infections, and said the mental toll of living with the stigma was high.
Marcil learned he had HIV years after getting infected from a blood transfusion he received as a teen through the Red Cross. “So many people in this community have survived things you only read about or watch in movies,” said Linda Truglia, executive director of Bruce House, an organization that has been providing support and housing for people in the AIDS community for decades.
Now, more of the organization’s effort is going toward supporting their clients in the long-term, from stocking food banks to mental health support.
HIV AIDS Treatment Prognosis Community Support
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
‘It’s supposed to be a veterans facility’: Resident, widow share concerns about Calgary care homeOpened in 2003, the facility was designed to be a long-term care home for veterans.
Read more »
South Africa fights back against Trump’s threat of funding haltThe withholding of U.S. aid could inflict its greatest damage on South Africans with HIV
Read more »
Trump order set to stop supply of HIV, malaria drugs to poor countries, sources sayThe move is part of a wider freeze on U.S. aid and funding put in place since the President took office on Jan. 20, while programs are reviewed
Read more »
Trump Administration Halts HIV Medication Distribution in Developing CountriesThe Trump administration has taken a controversial step by halting the distribution of HIV medications funded by the U.S. in developing countries, raising concerns about the health and well-being of millions reliant on these life-saving drugs. The administration has also ordered the freezing of PEPFAR, a successful global health program.
Read more »
32 Dolphins Die After Oil Spill in Kerch StraitA fuel oil spill from two storm-stricken tankers in the Kerch Strait has resulted in the death of 32 dolphins, according to an animal rescue group. The spill has also contaminated coastal areas and prompted a regional emergency in Crimea.
Read more »
Alberta Vocal Arts presents 'Die Fledermaus' in weekend performancesAlberta Vocal Arts hopes to turn its presentation of 'Die Fledermaus' into a yearly tradition.
Read more »