Inspiring Stories: Family & Loved Ones & HIV/AIDS

General Family | Mothers | Other Loved Ones and Friends

Amanda and her father, Robert Hill Millis. She writes about why she's been inspired to activism here.

Tom Keegan and Davidson Lloyd with their daughter

Tom Keegan and Davidson Lloyd live in Los Angeles with their daughter Connor.

Martha and Sarah, photographed by Loel Poor and featured in the Loel Poor Photo Exhibit.

For Becky Trotter and Io Cyrus, maintaining open lines of communication in their relationship has been a constant, day-to-day concern.

General Family

What's Normal Anyway? (Regularly Updated)
From TheBody.com
Spending Time With My Foster Son (January 27, 2013)
From TheBody.com
This Positive Life: An Interview With Peter and Kathy McLoyd (December 22, 2012)
While many believe HIV is a challenge too big for a couple to overcome, nothing could be further from the truth for the McLoyds. Their love is a glue stronger than HIV, and it is crystal clear that they are each other's hero.
From TheBody.com
Monday Reflection: Balancing Hurt, Accepting the Seasons -- A Blog Entry by Rae Lewis-Thornton (October 15, 2012)
"When someone alters your life without your permission ... you are faced with very hard decisions of how do you balance the thing that has happened to you with the person who has done it."
From TheBody.com
A Letter From My Dad Regarding Life Challenges, My New Career Path and My Recent Award: A Blog Entry by Kevin Maloney (August 26, 2012)
"You exuded so much confidence and passion in the speech you delivered at the award ceremony. You'll always be my kid, but you have grown into a strong man, and I was honored to be part of a milestone in this new journey of your life."
From TheBody.com
A Day in the Life Video Series: Two Longtime HIV Survivors Share Love and Support (June 19, 2012)
From TheBody.com
Now for More on My Learning: A Blog Entry by Alive2 (May 10, 2012)
"I knew I had to take this stuff very seriously. The whole thing put my wife and me on an unstable path, which I was mainly the person who was responsible for the whole issue. We had a very difficult time for a few months, especially while she waited for her results to come back for a confirmation she wasn't infected."
From TheBody.com
When Life Gives Us Lemons, Make Some Orange Juice (April 25, 2012)
"They did a test for HIV ... Being married and all, I felt there was no way I could catch anything STD-wise. I'd never cheated, and we'd been married for seven years and had four children already. I was thinking they were just driving up the bill on me ... That's when I found out I was in fact HIV positive."
From TheBody.com
My Early Strength: A Blog Entry by Rev. Andrena Ingram (April 15, 2012)
"A lot of people always compliment me about how strong I am, in my disease. This was not always the case. In truth, it is because of my children. Most of us, if we cannot find the strength to live for ourselves, carry on expressly for our children."
From TheBody.com
Love Times Love: A Blog Entry by Reggie Smith (March 27, 2012)
"As a heterosexual man of color living with AIDS and hep C, I am aware of the level of homophobia that exists in my community. I DO NOT subscribe to those fears in any way, and will continue to spread love and information in an attempt to dispel those fears, while promoting healing."
From TheBody.com

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Mothers

Kari Farmer-Coffman: Motherhood and HIV -- A Blog Entry by Robert Breining (December 7, 2012)
"Kari was diagnosed with HIV on Nov. 4, 2010 and two days later was diagnosed with AIDS. She was told to make plans for her daughter and her funeral. Kari was not ready to quit. Two years later, she is still fighting and making a difference in the community."
From TheBody.com
Rebecca Denison: Founder of WORLD -- A Blog Entry by Robert Breining (October 16, 2012)
"In 1990, a month before she was scheduled to begin law school, Rebecca was diagnosed with HIV. In 1991, with support from her husband Daniel, Rebecca started the WORLD newsletter in her living room. ... In 1995, Rebecca and Daniel decided to become parents, and in March 1996 their twin girls, Sophia and Sarah, were born, both HIV-free."
From TheBody.com
Danielle Rogers: Motivational Speaker and Mother: A Blog Entry by Robert Breining (October 1, 2012)
"Her son, Jamar Rogers, was a recent contestant on The Voice and publicly broke down barriers of stigma by revealing his HIV status on national television. Danielle supported him by showing unconditional love throughout his reign on the show."
From TheBody.com
Caring for HIV-Negative Kids (and Yourself) in an "HIV Family" (September 19, 2012)
Part two of a two-part conversation about pregnancy with four HIV-positive moms.
From TheBody.com
Life, Death and Photographs: A Blog Entry by Brooke Davidoff (September 13, 2012)
"I guess I thought the in-laws or my husband would pretend less that I was fine, and we can just get pictures next year, or maybe the next. Maybe this is more important to me than any of them since they don’t have to think of their own death."
From TheBody.com
A Twin Legacy of Hope (July 26, 2012)
From AIDS United
My Letter to HIV: A Letter and Video From Melissa Baker (April 27, 2012)
I could've stayed silent about you living inside of me after he and I went our separate ways. But instead I began my volunteerism. I felt empowered to dispel stigma, to encourage people to test, respect & educate themselves. ... I have added advocate to who I AM. I have disclosed to many including my daughters.
From "Write a Letter to HIV" Campaign at TheBody.com
A Mother's Love for Her HIV-Positive Son: A Video Blog Entry by Justin B. Terry-Smith (October 27, 2011)
"Sometimes I get personal e-mails about my blog and I haven’t really shared them with you all. But I think I will start to do so ... I received this e-mail from a woman I'm going to call Amanda. She and her son discovered he was HIV positive and this letter made me cry ... twice."
From TheBody.com
PRIDE, From a Proud HIV-Positive Lesbian: A Blog Entry by Maria T. Mejia (June 1, 2011)
"My running away from home and joining a gang, the things we had to go through in our home with my father, and then having to tell her that I was HIV positive was just enough for [my mother] to handle. I didn't want to give her one more thing to worry about."
From TheBody.com
Word on the Street: The Mother's Day Edition (May 4, 2011)
From TheBody.com

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