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Programs & Services |
Education & HIV/AIDS Awareness Programs
Journey of Hope Program
MEET SOME OF OUR SPEAKERS
Camp Heartland's Journey of Hope speakers are from all over the United States! JOH speakers are current and former campers who have made the decision to speak out about their experiences to make a difference in others' lives. Here are a few of their amazing stories.
ANDRE
"Hey, My name is Andre. I'm from Kansas City, Missouri and I have HIV/AIDS. I kept my HIV/AIDS status a secret for four years. During those years of secrecy, I wanted to talk to family and friends about it, but I was not sure of what might happen if I told.
I was first diagnosed in 1989, when I was 14 years old. No one knew I had HIV/AIDS other than my mother, grandmother, and my older brother - not even my two sisters and youngest brother knew. I believe keeping this secret was the worst decision I have made in my life so far, but I think many people, in my shoes, would have made the same decision. In 1989, you heard about the Ray brothers whose house was fire bombed, and they were forced out of their community, all because they had HIV/AIDS. In previous years, Ryan White was in the news. He was forced out of school and his community. And it was all because he had HIV/AIDS. Seeing all of that going on in the news, I decided to keep my mouth shut.
I was born with a hereditary disorder called Hemophilia, in which one of the proteins needed to make a firm blood clot is missing or reduced (in my case it's reduced). I contracted AIDS through blood product treatment for hemophilia called Factor. Factor is comprised of a pool of people's blood plasma. If one person from the pool of people's blood were infected with HIV/AIDS, then the whole pool of blood would be infected as well.
In August of 1993, I attended Camp Heartland. After meeting and talking to people who had the same problems, I decided not to keep my HIV/AIDS status a secret any longer. In September of 1993, I confronted my fears, and went public with my HIV/AIDS diagnosis on a 'Donahue' show about hemophiliacs living with HIV/AIDS. Since I went public and told all my friends and family, no one treats me any differently, except for a lot more questions about my health. I went public because I was tired of keeping this secret. I felt as if I was living a lie. I wanted to let people know what HIV/AIDS can do to a person mentally and physically. I wanted to let people know I am not dying of AIDS; I am living with AIDS. I am not a victim of AIDS; I am a victor of AIDS.
Today, I do not care who knows I have HIV/AIDS. If someone has a problem with me having HIV/AIDS, then that's their problem, not mine!"
YOLANDA
"My name is Yolanda. I have HIV. My mom had HIV. She died on Monday, November 11, 1996. She was 33 years old. AIDS doesn't bother me because I know I am not the only one who has this disease. I go to a camp called Camp Heartland. It is a camp for kids who are related to people who have HIV/AIDS or for kids who have this disease. It is a fun camp. You meet a lot of nice people."
AUGIE
"Hi! My name is Augie. I am 12 years old and am in 6th grade. My older brother and I live in California with our Gram Pam and our Gramp Steve, since our mother passed away in 1992, when she was barely 22 years old.
I can't remember too much about my mom, but I do remember going to the Boardwalk with her and having lots of fun. It still makes me so sad on Mother's Day, or when I have to hear all my friends talk about all the things they do with their mothers. I never got to go to the movies, or camping, or anything like that with my mom. I didn't have her here to take me to school the first day I started. When I'm hurt or scared she's not here to sit and hold me or talk to. I never had the privilege of all this because of AIDS!
It's hard to talk about myself or my life without the subject of HIV and AIDS, since it has to do with every part of my life; from what I wear, what I eat, and what I can or can't do, like sports and other activities. I feel like I am a 'special' kid and not in a good way. Being 'special' in my life means always being different. I hate having to take 18-20 pills a day and having to have IVIG treatments and needles stuck in me every 3 weeks. I can't even play sports anymore because it makes me too tired and runs my system down too much. It is sometimes very boring.
When my mom was 17 and 7 months pregnant with me, she was told she had AIDS. For 4 years before she died she tried her very best to help educate other young people so it might save their lives. Since that time my Gram has taught my brother and me how special our mom was and how proud we should always be of her. We have tried to take up where she left off to help educate young people about unprotected sex and drug users how important it is to NEVER use dirty needles. We also work to educate all people about this disease and help them to understand that we are no different than them.
I feel I have been very lucky in my life, even with having to deal with this disease as I have met so many good people who really do care. But I know that there are other people and especially other kids who have not been so lucky. They are alone without the support and love that I have had all my life. We need to find them and help them too and that is what I want to do with the rest of my life."
DANIEL*
"Hi, my name is Daniel. I am 15 years old. I was born with cancer. I had my kidney removed when I was two days old. When the doctors removed it, I had a transfusion. That is how I got HIV. I have to go to the NIH hospital in Bethesda, Maryland and they do a lot of tests on me and give me medicine. It isn't fun living with AIDS. I have friends who died from it. I am looking forward to living a long life."
*Sadly, Daniel died before he was able to give his speech. We are honored to have known Daniel, though the time was much too short. We remember Daniel and all the Camp Heartland children who are no longer with us and continue to speak out about HIV/AIDS in memory of these wonderful kids.
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