An Interview with Kelly

We sat Kelly down a few days ago and asked him some questions about his life and his website – MyHIVAIDSAwareness.com.  His answers were from the heart. They reflect his love for his son and deep care for the HIV positive community.

What is MYHIVAIDSAwareness.com?

MyHIVAIDSAwareness.com is a website dedicated to building support, providing simple solutions, and delivering valuable information to those infected and affected by HIV.

We focus on researching credible and trustworthy sources of information – some opinion and some fact – to present useable information that can make a difference in living with HIV.

Why did you create MyHIVAIDSAwareness.com?

My son is HIV positive. I found an overwhelming amount of HIV information and research out there.I was spinning my wheels every day and not understanding how to help my son. I couldn’t get through all of the information that was coming at me let alone understand what to do with it.

HIV is a complex disease.  And I just couldn’t take it anymore.

That’s when I did what I had to do to discover the secret of living a happy, healthy, and abundant life with HIV. So I used what I learned through my own trial and error to help others who are stuck in the situation my son escaped from.

I want my son and others with HIV to live their lives without limitations. These limitations come about not only from the HIV, but from lack of knowledge and empowerment, experiences of fear and stigma, and the sense that you no longer control anything about life.

In what way does MyHIVAIDSAwareness.com serve the HIV positive community?

We serve the community by providing a fresh prospective and a guiding light for living the best life possible with HIV. We are focusing our work in five key areas: physical well-being, emotional well-being, family & society, relationships & sex, and financial & legal concerns.

We like to say that we subscribe and research the “best of the best” so that you don’t have to. In reality, that means many hours of research sorting through endless, sometimes contradictory information to present some simple solutions to some very pressing issues in prevention, treatment and healthy living.

Can you give some examples?

There is more to this disease and its effects on life than the med’s you are taking and your latest CD4 count. Some of the most devastating effects are rooted in emotional well-being and its impact on treatment effectiveness and quality of life.

I recently talked to a young man who said he felt isolated and suicidal when he was diagnosed. After searching the sites for two hours he gave up trying to find something personal not clinical that could help him.

We have also talked with those who are completely uncertain whether to take HAART now or wait. Now that decision should be made with your doctor, but you have to be a knowledgeable partner in that relationship to get the most out of it.

We are in the process of putting together a video series to share personal wisdom and professional solutions that will directly address what you can do to take an active role in  this fight for your life.

Is living a good life even with HIV possible?

My one word answer to that question is YES.

There are many things that you can do today that will impact your HIV status and your life. We want to get those things to you in a simple, easily digestible format and we want to introduce you to some of those who are leading amazing lives even with a positive diagnosis. Their stories and life lessons are remarkable.

I wrote a blog post a couple of months ago on the things you can control about HIV. You can read it at http://www.myhivaidsawareness.com/can-we-control-anything-about-hiv.

What’s the most surprising pattern you uncovered in your research about HIV?

I would have to say how much research is currently going on and how little we truly know about how to cure HIV. Every week there are new research announcements about a banana or an antibiotic that “could” help stop HIV. It literally makes your head spin because if you try to follow it all, you wouldn’t know if you were supposed to eat a fruit or take a pill at any given time.

Getting credible information out that truly impacts those with HIV today is so mixed up with all of the latest research that is years away from being a benefit. There is significant stress in attempting to stay on top of everything and figuring out what it means to you personally.

How does your work compare to other sites like The Body?

We love the complete information resource on The Body and find it to be very comprehensive.  We recommend it along with a few other sites in our Info Center.

Our work is more focused on direct solutions to key issues facing those infected and affected by HIV. It is our mission to provide you with streamlined research and information in the form of concise reporting, personable videos, and investigative interviews. We can’t be everything to everyone, but we can be the best at what we do.

What was your most memorable experience in researching for your son and MyHIVAIDSAwareness.com?

I was invited to speak at a local clinic and I spoke to a group of 50-60 men and women who were living with HIV.  I started my talk mentioning “I’m a dad that cares, who loves and supports his HIV positive son.” to my surprise they all applauded and several had tears in their eyes.

I always knew how important a father’s love for his child was, but it was touching to see so many adults truly affected by it. Everyone needs a dad.

What do you want people to take away from MYHIVAIDSAwareness.com?

I want them to take away a sense of empowerment to gain a fighting spirit in their personal war against HIV. It has been proven through research that this spirit is a strong predictor for a better long term outcome with your disease.

I hope they find knowledge, understanding and clarity in making the important decisions they will face in the coming years with HIV. I hope we are a strong contributor to their healthy life.

We are out there on a daily basis looking at new research, sharing stories of personal success, and finding the latest information on HIV. We hope you will join us regularly on MyHIVAIDSAwareness.com and be a part of our journey.

This is personal for me and for my son. Please join us by sharing your email address in the box on the upper right of this page.