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>> I found out I was HIV positive.
I was having chest pains, and I ended up going to the emergency room.
I thought it was stress, maybe just me.
I lost a lot of weight.
They told me I was positive and that my CD4 was really, really low.
I felt numb.
I think I was in denial, running, "Oh, this is not me, this is not me, this is not me."
But --
I had to take a step back and realize, "Okay, I have to live not only for me, but my daughter.
So I have to get myself together, make sure I'm healthy,
make sure I'm doing all the right things so I'm there for her."
>> When he came to me and disclosed his status, I, in front of him, I was like, "Okay,
we're just going to have to make sure you get in care and you stay in care.
If you have any questions, call me."
>> I would tell them to talk.
Talk, because I didn't talk.
And I kept it in for a long time.
And it almost destroyed me.
If it's just talking to the wall, talk.
You know, as long as you get it out, out of you and out of your head,
you will see your mind is much clearer.
It's not cloudy.
>> I think the most important thing, and it's important
to others that's living with HIV, is just showing love.
Showing love.
Get educated about it.
Don't treat them like they're, you know, just infected or throw them to the side.
But just that overall support.
>> How could you just talk so bad about something that you don't know?
You're not educated about, you know?
If the wrong person is sending the message, the people are not going to receive it, you know?
So sometimes it takes a different person to send a message or relay
that message for another person to hear it.
So if I could help anyone, you know, showing them that, "Okay, I'm a father.
I'm a son.
I'm all these things.
And I still, I still can make it.
I still can live healthy."
>> Let's stop HIV together.
Get the facts.
Get tested.
Get involved.
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