WINFREY: My next guest is an 11-year-old student
who says that her teacher is one of the
most special people in the whole wide world.
Remember when the world was whole wide?
This is--this is Angelie Diya and she's
the subject of a CBS documentary which is
airing this summer.
The docume--mentary is called
"Before Your Eyes: Angelie's Secret."
Now Angelie is bravely coming forward today
with the secret that changed her life.
DIYA: I have AIDS and I didn't tell people because
I was afraid I was going to lose my friends because
my friends meant a lot to me.
They're always behind me, but I knew that I couldn't live
with it any longer because it was just, like, out there--I mean,
because I'm always truthful with my friends and everything.
And so I thought it was time to tell because they questioned
me a lot, and so now I feel a lot better that they are still
behind me and they love me very dearly.
WINFREY: You are the bravest little girl.
So you've told--told most of your friends?
DIYA: Well, yeah.
I told all my friends
on a closed-circuit TV at school that
I had AIDS, and a couple of people I was
just, like--just scared
to be around because their parents are,
like, very, very secure and...
WINFREY: Their parents are insecure? Mm-hmm.
DIYA: Mm-hmm.
WINFREY: Mm-hmm.
DIYA: And so I was afraid that some people
would talk to me right there and say,
`Well, I don't want to be your friend.'
But I knew that I had to come sooner or later.
And so I did it all with my friends be--
before I left the school.
WINFREY: What happened with your best friend?
DIYA: Well, my best friend--well,
they--we used to all play together
and we'd go to each other's houses,
but it's just--it's still the same,
but some of the parents, like, are still,
like, watching whenever we play together,
and I'm very careful, too, because I don't
want to put them through the same thing.
WINFREY: You don't want to put them through
the same thing. So you're very careful.
Well, Carolyn Price is Angelie's favorite teacher.
Come on out, Carolyn.
Here's Mrs. Price.
WINFREY: And why--why did you want
to salute Mrs. Price today?
DIYA: Well, because whenever
I was in fourth grade...
WINFREY: Isn't fourth grade great?
I just think it's the greatest.
Let me tell you, that is it, sister.
DIYA: Well, she is a very, very nice teacher
and she always understood, like,
whenever I was out, she--whenever I came back,
she always didn't load all the work on me.
WINFREY: Uh-huh.
DIYA: And she made me do the important stuff.
And so--and she is very,
like--even though she didn't
know what was wrong, she tried to,
like, understand me...
WINFREY: Uh-huh.
DIYA: ...and tried to, like, be there for me.
WINFREY: What did you think was wrong, Mrs. Price?
Mrs. PRICE: I was told ITP...
WINFREY: Uh-huh.
Mrs. PRICE: ...which is idiopathic
thrombocytopenic purpura, which I
did not know what that was and,
honestly, I was afraid to look
it up and find out.
WINFREY: Mm-hmm.
Mrs. PRICE: The only inkling that
I had--one day last spring Angelie
came to me and she said, `Guess what?
Make A Wish is sending me to'--and I
don't think I heard...
WINFREY: Mm-hmm.
Mrs. PRICE: ...what she said after,
`Make A Wish is sending me.'
I think it was to Disney World?
WINFREY: Mm-hmm.
Mrs. PRICE: And part of me inside died.
Teachers get very good at disguising how
they personally feel,
and inside, when I heard
`Make A Wish,' I knew we were dealing
with something serious.
WINFREY: Mm.
WINFREY: But you're dealing--we're
all dealing with it worse than you are.
Really.
Mrs. PRICE: Isn't she great?
WINFREY: Yeah. You are very brave.
And--do you have the support of
your family and--and friends and your teachers,
so the school has really been there for you.
Yeah.
DIYA: Mm-hmm.
WINFREY: So what are you doing this summer?
Are you kind of kicking up your heels?
Are you kind of reading any books?
DIYA: Doing nothing.
WINFREY: Doing nothing.
Are you reading any books?
You got any boyfriends hanging out or...
Mrs. PRICE: You better read.
You know that.
WINFREY: What are you reading?
What's your favorite book now at 11 1/2?
She's 11 1/2.
Remember when the halves were important?
DIYA: Well, I just like reading mystery books pretty much.
WINFREY: You like reading mystery books?
Yeah. That's terrific.
Well, thank you very much for being here, Mrs. Price.
Mrs. PRICE: Thank you, Oprah.