This is My 100th Article...It is Not about Me, though
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JoeUser Forums
My 100th Article...It’s Not about Me, though
This is about my aunt Irma. Our family found out this past week that she is HIV positive.
Irma is 50-ish years old. She is fun spirited and loves to joke around with her sisters. She loves music and dancing and enjoys spending time with her only grandchild, a vivacious two-year old girl. Irma is not just an aunt I see at holiday functions, parties, etc. We actually lived under the same roof for several years, and needless to say, I am close to her.
Irma was infected by someone she once cared about. She has known about her illness for quite sometime. So, while we were baffled and concerned as to why she was continually getting sick, she struggled with this on her own, fearing that if we ever found out, we’d reject her in some way. When the truth did come out, our hearts broke for what she has had to deal with by herself, for what she is going through now (she’s been in the hospital for several weeks, suffering from pneumonia, swelling, and other ailments)...and for what she has yet to battle.
But rejecting her is something that is nonexistent. In fact, we have rallied around her. She is inspiring us to become more caring and more compassionate. She is motivating us to gain more knowledge about her illness, an illness that was always someone else’s plight, but is now our own. She is also motivating us to create the best support system possible for her.
We love you. We will be there for your every need. Just remember, you are not alone in this anymore. It is OUR battle now.
(I have more to write about on this, but I’ll leave it for another time...If I go on right now, I might get too misty eyed).
This is about my aunt Irma. Our family found out this past week that she is HIV positive.
Irma is 50-ish years old. She is fun spirited and loves to joke around with her sisters. She loves music and dancing and enjoys spending time with her only grandchild, a vivacious two-year old girl. Irma is not just an aunt I see at holiday functions, parties, etc. We actually lived under the same roof for several years, and needless to say, I am close to her.
Irma was infected by someone she once cared about. She has known about her illness for quite sometime. So, while we were baffled and concerned as to why she was continually getting sick, she struggled with this on her own, fearing that if we ever found out, we’d reject her in some way. When the truth did come out, our hearts broke for what she has had to deal with by herself, for what she is going through now (she’s been in the hospital for several weeks, suffering from pneumonia, swelling, and other ailments)...and for what she has yet to battle.
But rejecting her is something that is nonexistent. In fact, we have rallied around her. She is inspiring us to become more caring and more compassionate. She is motivating us to gain more knowledge about her illness, an illness that was always someone else’s plight, but is now our own. She is also motivating us to create the best support system possible for her.
We love you. We will be there for your every need. Just remember, you are not alone in this anymore. It is OUR battle now.
(I have more to write about on this, but I’ll leave it for another time...If I go on right now, I might get too misty eyed).
