EDMONTON – A local woman is sharing her story about being diagnosed with HIV in the hopes of taking away some of the stigma associated with the disease.
Deborah Norris first learned she was HIV positive in 1991 when she was applying for life insurance after splitting from her husband, whom she had found out had been having an affair.
“As part of life insurance, they did a blood test and that was when I discovered that I have HIV,” she says. “It was as much of a shock to me, as it was to my ex. He had no idea that he had it.”
Her children, who were 1 and 3 years old at the time, also had to be tested for HIV.
“I remember, it was probably the longest 2 weeks of my life waiting for their test results.”
Fortunately, the children tested negative, but they’ve had to watch their mother become deathly ill a number of times.
Norris’ ex-husband died of AIDS-related illness 12 years ago. She says she, herself, expected to die within five years of her diagnosis. Over the past two decades, though, Norris says she has seen treatments in Alberta improve.
The province recently started covering the drug Complera for HIV treatment. Truvada was just approved by the FDA as a preventive drug. and an HIV vaccine is also being tested.
Now an educator for HIV Edmonton, Norris counsels other people with the illness. She only recently started speaking pubicly about her own status, and hopes she can help others like her live a life free of stigma.
“Treating people like they somehow deserve to get this disease because of their lifestyles…it makes me very, very sad,” she says. “Because no one deserves to get this disease. No one.”
“We’re just people. And we’re just like you. And you could as easily get this disease as anyone else.”
The annual AIDS Walk for Life event is this Sunday morning in Sir Winston Churchill Square. Funds raised through the event will go toward education programs, outreach, and support groups. For more information, click here.
Comments