Hydeia Broadbent, 39, passed away. She was well-known for promoting awareness to reduce the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS from an early age. She spoke on behalf of American children affected by HIV/AIDS, especially those in the African American community. In a Facebook post on Tuesday, her father, Loren Broadbent, confirmed her tragic passing. He concealed the cause of his passing. He posted on social media, saying, “With deep sadness, I must inform you all that our beloved friend, mentor, and daughter Hydeia, passed away today after living with Aids since birth.” “Despite overcoming many obstacles in her life, Hydeia stayed committed to promoting optimism and hope via HIV/AIDS education.”
Broadbent was identified as having HIV,
the three-year-old with the AIDS virus. She contracted the illness from her mother, a heroin intravenous user, who abandoned her in the hospital. Medical professionals predicted she wouldn’t live past the age of five. By the time Broadbent was six years old, though, she was already retelling her story in public thanks to the encouragement of her adoptive parents. Over the years, she has been on several national platforms to raise awareness about HIV, such as an Oprah Winfrey Show appearance and a Disney special with Magic Johnson.
“Based on emotions in his eyes,” Broadbent said in the 1992 special. “I want people to realize that we’re just regular folks,” Johnson stated in an interview 20 years later that the experience was crucial to him. “That very moment was both sad and inspirational,” said he. “It made me want to do more to bring notice to the disease and inform people so that no one has to experience it the way she did that day.”
During his 1996 appearance at the Republican National Convention,
Broadbent made the well-known statement, “I am the future, and I have AIDS.” Her family’s memoir, You Get Past the Tears: A Memoir of Love and Survival, was released in 2002 and detailed their experiences. She is also well known for founding the Hydeia L. Broadbent Foundation and for her participation in the Let’s Stop HIV Together campaign. Which was started by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Broadbent celebrated turning 34 in a 2018 blog post, referring to herself as a member of “the first generation of children born HIV positive.” She wrote, “I am here, a force to be reckoned with.” “The past few years have been incredibly challenging; I’ve battled depression to a frightening extent. A deep despair that left me unsure of how I would ever be able to appreciate beauty in life again. I didn’t know how I would get myself back up. I can now recognize the lessons and gifts from my valley because I have a fresh perspective.”
Blog By:- ExpertSadar
