This is a true story

In 1987 by best friend went into the hospital to give birth to her second child, a daughter. There were complications. She had to receive a blood transfusion. This was before mandatory testing of hospital blood supplies for HIV was established.

Six years later she was gone.

During that six years, her husband divorced her and sued for custody of the two children, stating she was unfit to raise them because of her HIV status. He won. As a result, she cut off ties to everyone except her father and brother because she was afraid that her friends would exhibit the same ignorance her husband had.

I lost six years with a woman that was closer to me than a sister. I didn’t find out she had died of AIDS until her funeral, when her father told me.

Please support me & AIDS Walk LA.

For her, and for all of my friends currently living with HIV.

http://aidswalklosangeles2010.kintera.org/jtomalley