AIDS: HIV & denial

Think you will live forever? Or that nothing bad can happen to you?
Thinking that is natural, especially for kids. But Ali’s story will help you understand that when you take risks, you can get hurt.

Ali looked like a cover girl with gorgeous hazel eyes. You would never guess Ali had AIDS.

As the only child of a wealthy couple, Ali had lived the easy life. She was thoughtful and fun to be with. Talking with her, you would understand why she had so many friends.

Ali was a talented artist. She had gone to one of the finest design schools in the country. After graduation, she worked hard to perfect her skills. But dreams of a success as an illustrator crashed the summer she was 23. She was too tired and weak to draw.

"I was in the hospital for three weeks,” Ali said. “I was so sick, and had a million painful tests. They couldn't find anything wrong. When I started to have trouble breathing, they did a biopsy of my lung. My doctor came into my room with tears in his eyes. He said, 'Ali, you have AIDS.' My first thought was ‘My God! I am going to die!' "

To Ali, AIDS was a disease that gay men or intravenous drug users got. She couldn't imagine how she was infected. Finally she traced it back seven years, to a handsome guy she knew when she was 16.

He had worked as a bartender at a local club. They had a crush on each other and flirted. Finally, they went out on a date. She remembers every detail of the night, including sex.

"It was a romantic evening with candlelight, roses, and champagne,” Ali said

Even though he later died from AIDS, Ali was positive he didn't know he was infected with HIV when they were together. At that time, most people had never heard of AIDS. Today, when so much is known about the disease, it can be prevented. No one has to become infected.

"Teenagers have to stop thinking they are immortal and start thinking about being safe,” she said. “I was young and carefree, and didn't think anything like this could happen to me."

When Ali met Nancy, they felt as if they had known each other forever. Like best friends, they shared everything – dreams, secrets, clothes, and tears. When Ali was diagnosed with HIV, Ali's mother called Nancy to the hospital. Nancy learned the news.

"We all said nothing for five minutes,” Nancy says, “and we started to cry and hug each other. I am still in shock that she had AIDS, because she absolutely didn't look sick. She looked healthy. She had her bad days when she’d call and say she was depressed and sad and lonely, and she wanted to be normal and have babies. It broke my heart. One day she looked at me and said, 'Nan, I wish I would just die.' What do you say to that?"