Typical that yesterday morning when I could have laid in a little longer I woke up two minutes before my usual alarm – bright eyed, not so bushy tailed. Six monthly blood tests seem to come around so quickly, it’s crazy to think that the next visit to the nurse will be at the start of 2015 and I’ll have been living with HIV for over five years!

 

I had fun and interesting weekend, I was keen to take it easy as I’ve got a busy weekend in Birmingham coming up for my Online Peer Support Volunteer Training with THT. That said I was still excited and riding high from being able to share the “i am” video. It’s a great feeling being able to promote something I worked so hard on and hearing all the great comments from people who have watched it.

 

If you have not yet taken a look at the film please view it below, like and share if you enjoy it!

 

 

It was at the same time as joining the project that I came out publically about my positive HIV status and that journey was very important for me and without a doubt the experience fed into my contribution to the film. The film also presented the first opportunity for me to meet other people living with the virus but had a very different backgrounds, a gay man who witnessed the early days of the epidemic and South African mothers living with the condition whilst bringing up their children in the UK.

 

 

For me the project was not just about raising awareness and telling a story about how normal life is with HIV. It’s about telling people living with HIV that they can be whatever ‘normal’ is and live as happy a life as everyone else should they chose to.

 

‘I am’ POSITIVE that this film can provide other people with the confidence to stand up and stand proud, visibly or otherwise that HIV doesn’t have to put a stop to their dreams, slam the breaks on their ambitions or mean they get set any goal they want to.

 

 

People living with HIV take note; YOU ARE strong, YOU ARE brave, YOU ARE fearless, unique and beautiful. Even if you do not know it yet.