Shirley, Rochester, NY
Channel: UPWORDSVoices
Date: 2013-05-07

Shirley fled her abusive father when she was growing up and found herself in Rochester with her boyfriend at the time.  Even though doctors had told her she would never have children, she became pregnant and contracted HIV and Hepatitis-C during an emergency C-section in which she received a blood transfusion.

Fearing a life of stigma and torment for her daughter, Shirley hid the truth about her status and fell into a world of cocaine addiction.  But with profound strength and courage, and a little help from some guardian angels, she has been able to get clean, seek treatment for both diseases, cure her Hep-C, become undetectable with HIV, repair her relationship with her daughter, and find a job as a peer educator at AIDS Care.  

This interview and others like it can be found at www.upwordsvoices.org.

© 2013 HRHCare