Fort Worth – In the 80s and 90s, HIV and AIDS were a death sentence for many people, but thanks to decades of research and development, today more than 50% of people infected with the virus are over 50 years old.
A group of survivors meets weekly in Fort Worth and calls themselves “Veteran Survivors.”
“That’s one of the reasons I enjoy coming to the clubhouse, I get to spend time with a bunch of friends,” Douglas Ford said.
The senior citizens group meets in a house they affectionately call the Clubhouse.
“I love it here. I love the camaraderie. It’s like a family atmosphere,” Valencia Landry said.
All members of this group have at least a few things in common: They are all over 50 years old, and all have been diagnosed with HIV infection for more than a decade.
“I was scared. I told my mom and she was scared to death,” Ford said.
Both Ford and Edward Reid were diagnosed in the mid-’80s.
“Obviously, when we first learned about this in the ’80s, it really did seem like a death sentence to a lot of people,” Reed said.
“I never thought I’d make it to my 25th birthday,” Ford said.
At the time, the diagnosis was worth as much as a signed note from the executioner.
“The day I found out I was devastated. I cried, thinking I only had a few years, maybe even months, to live,” Reed said.
“I can’t count them all [people] “It has passed,” Ford said.
But diseases that once meant certain death have changed.
“Improvements in treatment have allowed us to age,” Ford said.
New medications have made the disease manageable, bringing laughter back to people like Reed.
“Believe it or not, there was a time when I was in such a dark place that I just couldn’t laugh, couldn’t laugh at all. I just couldn’t laugh at all,” Reed said, “so I’m so happy that I can laugh now.”
It’s 2024 and the clubhouse is filled with laughter.
If you are living with HIV and would like to learn more about Veteran Survivors, please visit the AIDS Outreach Center website. source.