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Guest Blogger: A Day in the Life When the Diva Is Your FriendBy Rae Lewis-Thornton June 14, 2011
This piece originally appeared in Rae's blog, Diva Living With AIDS. Each morning that I wake up, my day is essentially my own. While I am a single parent who maintains full and complete custody of my teen son, I can pretty much dictate how I manage my day. I can take one pill or none. I can go to a doctor or not. Let me tell you, I loathe them and have not been all year. My extremely athletic child however recently suffered a concussion, but I think you get my drift here. We are both healthy and I have Rae Lewis-Thornton to thank for that. Her sacrifice is on a daily basis. She has suffered, been scrutinized and had her most intimate details self-disclosed so that we, who are negative, can be free.
A Day In The Life of a Diva was not my first encounter with brave Rae's tale. I remember picking up that oh-so-famous Essence Magazine and thinking what is this beautiful creature sharing with us? What I read made my jaw drop. I was young and single but heterosexual. I did have many close friends in the gay community affected though and as result I was extremely sensitive to the cause. Never once was I made to think it would impact my health personally until Rae shared her tale. From then on I was vigilant. My physician was reluctant, but I insisted on annual testing of all things related to my sexual health. Verbiage would surface like, "Have you been exposed? What makes you think you need all of this testing? Are you an IV drug user? Are you promiscuous?" Only with exasperation would they approve the blood tests which I just do not get! To this day! I am happy that I was insistent. Knowing saves lives! Being a responsible sexual partner is the only way. Early in 1996 I delivered my first born child. I think it is profound that I am able to share raising my son with Rae, whom I now consider one of my dearest friends. She has NO idea how she impacted my life. She knows she sacrifices for the good of her community each and every day, but she does it so selflessly that I do not think she pauses to realize her impact. I owe my health, and that of my son whom she playfully refers to as Prince, to her message and her selfless living. I can only hope the little I have given to her since we met can give her a glimpse of my gratitude! June 27th will be National HIV Testing Day. If you don't know your status go to this website: www.hhs.gov/aidsawarenessdays/days/testing/index.html#about for more information on testing in your area. Know your status! Knowing saves lives! Be responsible -- your community thanks you. Post Script: Dwana is a wonderful blogger. You can find her at Healthier, Happier, You! You can follow her on Twitter also. Get e-mail notifications every time Rae's blog is updated.
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Rae Lewis-Thornton Speaks  Rae Lewis-Thornton Rae Lewis-Thornton is an Emmy Award-winning AIDS activist who rose to national acclaim when she told her story of living with AIDS in a cover story for Essence Magazine. She has lived with HIV for 27 years and AIDS for 19. Rae travels the country speaking and challenging stereotypes and myths about HIV/AIDS. She has a Master of Divinity degree and is currently working on her Ph.D. in Church History. Rae has been featured on Nightline, Dateline NBC, BET and The Oprah Winfrey Show, as well as in countless magazines and newspapers, including Emerge, Glamour, O, the Oprah Winfrey Magazine, Jet, Ebony, the Washington Post and the Chicago Tribune, to name a few. She earned the coveted Emmy Award for a first-person series on living With AIDS for Chicago's CBS News. Rae is an active user of social media -- read "Long-Term HIV Survivor Discovers the Power of Twitter," an article on TheBody.com about Rae's social media activities. Visit Rae's Web site, Diva Living With AIDS Learn about RLT Collection, Rae's line of AIDS awareness/fashion bracelets Speaking engagements: Inquire about booking Rae to speak at your organization or event! Subscribe to Rae's Blog:
Recent Posts:
May 13, 2013 - The Power of Knowledge: A Blog Entry by Rae Lewis-Thornton
May 9, 2013 - Change Your Mind ... Your Ass Will Follow ... May 3, 2013 - Damn, Ladies, You Have All the Control: A Blog Entry by Rae Lewis-Thornton March 27, 2013 - No Easy Way Out ... March 13, 2013 - A Woman's Vagina Should Not Be a Pawn A Brief Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by TheBody.com's bloggers are entirely their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of TheBody.com itself. |
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