My Home Grown Hero - from the perspective of a family member affected by HIV

George is a haemophiliac and was infected in the 1980’s by contaminated blood from the States. At this juncture there was not much known about HIV by the general public. As soon as this situation was brought into the public domain it was a time where ignorance and unawareness was at its highest. This was accentuated by a media frenzy stating all kinds of ludicrous assumptions, i.e. you’ll catch it by kissing or sharing a toilet set with someone positive, it’s purely because of the gay community, to state a few ridiculous notions...

Unfortunately I found this out first hand, this attitude was representative throughout society & the reaction of people who found out that you were related to someone HIV positive was met with negative comments and behaviour.  It was a difficult situation and a struggle for George and us to come to terms with what had happened. At first it was not spoken about or dealt with, as it was too emotionally distressing because we were under the impression, through lack of information, that he would be taken from us within 2 years.  This took its toll on everyone and as I saw it, he became a shadow of his former self, ceased socialising with friends, isolated himself from society & people in general.
 
However, as he has such a strong, kind & courageous nature, he was one of the pioneering group of people to be involved with the medical trials in the 1990’s to help lengthen survival of those who are HIV positive. He wanted to make a difference and help enable people to have a longer and better quality of life. At this point, his T cell count had become dangerously low, just 30 (which is less than a quarter of that of a healthy adult). If he got the slightest cold or cough, it could wipe out his immune system & we could easily have lost him.  When he started the trials it was an unnerving for us all, at one point he was rejecting the drugs nearly as fast as they were being developed. Finally he found one which didn’t involve tablets ruling his every move, didn’t give him the nasty physical or psychological effects, such as bleeding of the bladder, weight loss, weight gain, paranoia or depression.

A light shone out from the darkness, he finally sought support from TVPS, mid 90’s & what a difference they have made!!!  He said that living with the virus gave him a feeling of utter helplessness and lacking a purpose, he had previously thought because he was in a minority TVPS would have a problem relating to his situation. He was proven to be quite incorrect! Since meeting with TVPS he has over the past decade been heavily involved with the organisation. I have seen a remarkable change in his overall attitude & confidence levels.  The knowledge he has gained through being involved with TVPS has enabled him to be of support for so many people, he actively, as with all at TVPS, gets out there to raise awareness, reduce ignorance and provide information. 

I firmly believe that without TVPS it would have taken considerably longer (if at all) for him to gain the confidence or belief in himself to get out there and start living again.

He’s life is now full of laughter, friendships and adventures in places all over the world;

Fiji Islands
Antarctica
Australia... and it doesn’t stop there, he’s already planning another adventure…

I am so proud of how far he has come, how he’s giving so much back to the community and the difference he’s making to peoples lives. This is why I consider him to be an inspiration and a fantastic role model for any who is feeling down or uncertain about their situation!
 
Being HIV positive is not the end of the world…. You can still live a fun & happy life!!!