I just want to remember a few of the many friends that I have lost. Love and miss u all so much, Derrick, Alfred (Kitty), Leslie, Nancy, Jack, and Tony. I know u all r in a better place but I feel so alone at times. No one to talk to about all the fun we use to have. But I have so many good memories and catch myself laughing sometimes. And there r the tears. God bless u all. And until we meet again. Love Dedrick.

Sandi was one of the strongest people I know- She was thankful for each day- She always made everyone smile- She fought hiv/aids for 20 years- Her Faith was so awesome- She was brave, beautiful and loving- She loved her family, friends and everyone she met- She is in heaven now and one day through God's grace we will all meet again-

My brother died back in 97 at the age of 26. I will miss him till the day I die. We've been through a lot of difficult times together and as individuals. But the most important thing is that he is in a very good place, and will eventually be reunited with him in another world; a better one than the one I live in now. I Love you Lee, my dear brother.... Heather

November 30, 1964...............September 19, 1994 Rest In Peace Uncle Brian Love & Miss you!

My brother Chris Sena lost his battle to AIDS on November 12, 1996. There is not one single day in the past 15 years that don't think of you handsome. I always tell Daniella about you and know you would be so proud of her, she's so good Chris! I miss you calling me, I miss our long talks, I most of all miss our secrets! I love you sooo much and always will and I most of all miss that you not here for me to give you a hard time on your upcoming birthday on December 24th, I would have told you "Happy Birthday Old Man!" And you would have been soooooo mad at me for saying so! I took your fav's (A Dr. Pepper & a pack of Kool's) to to the cemetery on your anniversary and lit a smoke for you my love. I still have such a hard time with you not here, you were my only bro, I remember your laugh and sometimes can even smell you. Rest in peace my angel, and know that as long as I am here, you will never be forgotten. Your Sis, Tanya

its been 7 years to the day since my bestfriend, partner snd soulmate left me to be in heaven , not a day a day goes by that i dont remember that sly smile that caught my eye on that halloween night and 8 years since. when i feel in love the only to person to make me smile, cry and laugh all at the same time came in my life and left just as fast. i loved scott with all my heart and took care of him for 3 years when he could care for himself,. i wouldnt trade that for anything. i look at all the advances that have taken place in 7 years since he left and i get angry, sad and depressed. is it selfish that i wanted him to hangon for my sake, so i wouldnt be alone, to keep going through life as a single when i should be a pair in the card deck of life. its hard being a queen without a king. i look all around at all the couples, and wonder what if.....i know i'm wrong, but it hurts so much . so i say to all of you fighting, don't give up. No matter what happens and how u feel ....dont give up hope. i wish u all love, hope, and a future filled with romance. I miss you Scott.

I have many memories and I will pay tribute to you all. You guys impacted my life in so many ways. It is a shame you are all gone. Today, I wonder what life would have been like with you around. We will fight and not lose to a battle that has take away so may lives. We will also live to tell future generations, of your pains, struggles and losses. May your dear souls rest in peace. If heaven has villages, yours is almost complete with relatives close and near, young and old, men and women. Here below, we will build new ones too.

We don't know who you are, we may never know your stories, but what we do know is that you were and still are people like us. You had family, friends, hopes, dreams, trials, tribulations, happy days, sad days, ups, downs and a myriad of things that we all experience. Though we may never know who you were we will still miss you and mourn you for we all a unified by our humanity. Whenever one person in this great global family of ours hurts, we hurt. When one dies we mourn. And we most assuredly mourn for you, our brothers and sisters. Eternal memory to you all!

well lets c... where to start i just lost the most important person in my life my mom to aids in july of 07' im now 18 and live alone in the world thi sone guys said he loved her knew he was sick n didnt tel her... SO THATS LOVE?? she lived with hiv/aids for 15 years god bless her soal. she was the strongest person i knew and well wouldnt give up till i told her it was ok.. im going through a rough time in my life all i can think about is how much i hate him n want her back!!!

I won’t make a major tributary statement – I didn’t know him. I also know he led a crazy life – a full life – and had many experiences. But I’ll say that I love listening to the music of Fela Kuti who rocked the Nigerian music scene in the 1960s and 1970s. I heard there was a government raid of his house …I have heard he had many wives …he was a man who deserves books on his story …I am sure he lived more life than many of us ever will.

Generations know the story differently. But I think we all come together to make a better future and to fight for a cure. I put up a video here too. Peace to all.

This is a European campaign. Demonstrating that the number of infections is still growing and asking attention for protection. And awareness.

16 years ago

The real obscenity of the AIDS epidemic is that we have allowed the developing world to suffer from a disease that we in the developed world treat as an illness rather than the death sentance that is everywhere else on the planet. If the education about AIDS fails so badly in the EU where we have universal healthcare and free education then how can we educate the rest of the planet?

I recently learned that a family friend contracted HIV. It’s now AIDS. In fact, it quickly transformed from HIV to AIDS (a matter of two or three years). He was very young when he became positive. I never knew him well though I used to be very close with his sister. Our mothers always shared a healthy friendship – similar sensibilities, aligned humors. This news is very big for me. And I don’t know quite what to do with it.

Do you guys ever feel like the 1980s was this different world? I was only a kid in the ‘80s but I do remember the period. I grew up in a big city on the West Coast, surrounded by a lot of fear and anxiety, when people still knew very little about HIV/AIDS …not that they know a lot now. There were these obsessive, precautionary statements. For example, you were supposed to always see if there were needles before you sat down in the park. The idea was that everything was a potential AIDS hazard. I remember one time my friend refused to sit down with me for a picnic (even after we scanned the area) for fear of syringes. Now this is an extreme example. But it reminds me of that period (and all its fears). I wonder how far we have come. People are so much healthy and happier than they used to be. People are living longer. But do you guys remember that dreadful period?

The strange thing to me is how tow continents view and approach the disease so differently. I’m talking about North America and Africa. In North America, we treat the disease as serious …but rare and hidden. It’s not a part of the mainstream culture. Contraction is a shock, sometimes a disgrace initially, and people deal with it in myriad ways. But the more they learn, sometimes, they more they find community support and find ways to work it into in their new lives. In Africa, so many people are affected by HIV/AIDS. But the knowledge is so different than here – not to mention the medical care and medical knowledge. It is so massive in Africa, especially in places like South Africa and Swaziland, that the North American news doesn’t even know how to cope with it. This disease in Africa is beyond common North American perception. I don’t know quite what I am getting at …but I suppose I am trying to work out in my head how this disease is so international but so personal. There are so many struggles every day. But, at the end of the day, it is often your direct community you turn to. Some of us are blessed with more supportive communities than other people. Hopefully the Internet and online world, for those lucky enough to connect online, can be a new source of hope and connection.

this is an excerpt from the maya angelou poem, "i know why the caged bird sings." The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown but longed for still and his tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom.

It's all vague memories now. The sickness is something that I can barely describe. I was so young. I don't think I understood it. The year was probably 1989 or 1990. You just said that you had it. Very matter of fact. I don't remember much else after that but I still remember that day.

a prayer of peace, a message of hope, a blessing to all ...these are what we need, too. hope.

I have seen how HIV/AIDS has impacted so many lives. But it has been more than the people my family or friends knew that so affected me. Since my childhood, I've felt strongly that HIV/AIDS is a pressing issue that requires community involvement - resources, centers, grassroots activism, etc. Because it affects communities, and because so many people grow from this group support, I only hope that we foster a new kind of community online that can reach new people, display new voices, and offer some more compassion and hope in 2008.

Growing up in San Francisco in the 1980s and 1990s, I certainly knew people who passed away due to AIDS. I also saw how it impacted everybody's lives. But it was more than the people my family or friends knew that so affected me. Since my childhood, I've felt strongly that HIV/AIDS is a pressing issue that requires community involvement - resources, centers, grassroots activism, etc. Because it affects communities, and because so many people grow from this group support, I only hope that we foster a new kind of community online that can reach new people, display new voices, and offer some more compassion and hope in 2008.