Aubrey’s Story with HIV

We have been part of the REACH family for 20 years. In March of 1999, my 8-week-old daughter and I were given our HIV diagnosis along with a life expectancy of 10 years. The world suddenly became chaotic, scary, and lonely. I became involved in the HIV community, but no one in my area had positive children, which made me feel like no one could truly identify with how I was feeling. By the time my daughter, Shay, was 6 months old, we were going to our first appointment at Children’s Hospital of Seattle. This is where we learned of REACH, a place where we could meet families like ours. Shay was 8 months old when we attended our first REACH Camp.

I loved the home visits when she was younger. REACH Staff would come over with smiles, cheer, and little gift baskets for the family, always leaving us feeling special and not forgotten. I also enjoyed the beautifully made quilts REACH would sometimes give out at camp or Christmas time, each quilt is stitched with the words “God loves you” and are draped throughout our home to remind us of the continued love and support that comes to us throughout the year from our REACH family in the form of birthday cards, Christmas cards, and phone calls to see how we are doing.

REACH family camp is the highlight of the year. This is where we get to come together with a larger group of REACH families to have fun and support one another. I have seen people young and old conquer their fear of heights. I have seen children overcome their fear of horses. I have seen my own child conquer her stage fright and perform her heart out in our talent show. For my family, REACH Camp is our vacation time. When my daughter was a baby, I received welfare and had $40 after bills to buy diapers and wipes. I couldn’t afford anything. REACH not only paid for our camp, they reimbursed my gas expense, so I could still afford what I needed for my daughter.

REACH has been like a beacon of light in a world in constant flux. REACH children grow up and achieve great things in their lives, things no one thought they could, and this gives me hope for all our futures.

Watch for Shay’s story coming Thursday…