Today 7,000 people in the world will become infected with HIV/AIDS the majority of them are under the age of 30. Yet, it's rare that I hear our generation/my friends talking about what it means, how to protect ourselves, and more importantly to help those who are living with it every day.
One of my role models, on and off the screen, is Elizabeth Taylor. Three Oscars, including the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, and an IMDB full of classic movies--Giant, National Velvet, Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf, Cleopatra --just to name a few of this screen legend's work. But what I admire most about Elizabeth Taylor is that when society, governments, and leaders were not talking about AIDS (when it was first discovered in the 1980's) she stepped up, spoke up, and rolled up her sleeves. Elizabeth Taylor not only made the world pay attention to this issue, she did something about it!
Elizabeth Taylor's grandson, Quinn Tivey, decided to investigate his grandmother's philanthropic legacy. Quinn is a 27 year-old photographer living in Brooklyn, and like me, he thinks that not enough of his peers are paying attention to HIV/AIDS. Quinn traveled the country to meet people living with HIV/AIDS who were ultimately helped through grants given by The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation to grassroots organizations.
Quinn took the cover photo for this story of Melissa at her apartment in Lawrence, Kansas. This is the first time that Melissa has shared her story of being purposefully infected by a healthcare worker during a stay at a Missouri Hospital. She spent 8 years following her diagnosis isolated, but recently found a new sense of freedom by sharing her story that she believes is contributing to a healthier immune system.
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Melissa's HIV / AIDS Story
Non-FictionMelissa's story is part of an on-going collection of inspiring stories of people living with HIV/AIDS. These amazing subjects were met as part of an investigation of Elizabeth Taylor's legacy in the fight against AIDS by her grandson, Quinn Tivey...
