The inspirational journeys of people who are long-term survivors of HIV
Lynnea
Lynnea
Los Angeles, USA
Lynnea, a long-term #HIV survivor in Los Angeles, was born with HIV. Her positive spirit and love for others have helped her overcome stigma and other challenges in her life. Photographs and story by Lynnea.
I always had a special relationship with my Mom because she and I share the same virus. You know, I’ve never looked at HIV as something bad, because it was always what brought me closer to my Mom.
A lot of times people give me more sympathy because I was born with the virus than they give someone who has contracted HIV through drug use or sexual activities. They say it’s not my fault and I didn’t ask for it. But who asks for HIV? The only difference between me and other HIV-positive people is that I don’t know life without it.
Inequalities are driving the AIDS epidemic. If we take a look at the socioeconomic groups that are leading the charts in new infections, we see that it's the same groups that are underrepresented in research. As a woman of colour, I'm part of the group that is still at the back of the bus.
I reach out to my medical providers for services that I know are available through Ryan White funding, such as dental care and mental health services, but my needs seem to go to the back of the line. It took four years of requesting mental health services for me to find a therapist, and I don't get the luxury of picking one that I'm comfortable with.
There is only one available and that's who I get.
These days, my daughter, Nae’Lyn, is my life. She’s a happy, healthy, HIV-negative little girl.
She’s sassy, spunky and very opinionated. She is quite the opposite of me, not shy at all. She sings in church. She remembers everything. She is very loving, the sweetest little girl I’ve ever met. And she wants everything her way. She’s a handful.
Today, I am in great health.
My virus is undetectable, and HIV is the last of my worries. I stay busy as a seasonal tax adviser and full-time mother to my now seven-year-old daughter.
T a k e a c t i o n
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