A Life that Defies the Odds

Terrance's battle with HIV includes some extra hurdles

According to Terrance’s physician, he should have died seventeen years ago.

A successful hairstylist, Terrance enjoyed his professional and social life during the 80’s, until he was diagnosed with HIV in 1984. At first, he did not know where he could turn after his doctor gave him only five years to live.

“Because the black community wasn’t talking about (HIV) or accepting it, I kept it a secret,” says Terrance. “I wasn’t sure how the community would react.” He was more than justified in his suspicions. His parents, unable to handle the stigma of a child with HIV, kept his status a secret for more than two years. When others finally began to learn for his situation, he describes their emotional reactions as “shock and fear.”

Over time, Terrance began to develop a network of friends within the HIV-positive community. Over time, he learned of Samaritan House and the opportunities it provided for health, acceptance, and the chance to rebuild his life.

One of the greatest challenges he faced, however, was maintaining sobriety.
Terrance turned to drugs out of despair, assuming he had little to live for. Friends and family had turned on him, and so he sank into habitual drug abuse. Over time, with the assistance of support groups and chemical dependency counselors, he has been able to remain sober.

As he regained his strength that was sapped by drug use, Terrance turned to the relationships that had been compromised both by HIV and by his addiction. He explains that his parents “did not know me without the drugs,” so they began the slow, painful task of reacquainting themselves within this new context.

With more than two decades behind him now since his diagnosis, Terrance only looks forward. He has served on the Samaritan House Resident’s Council, helping to get other residents involved within the Samaritan House community. As a peer advocate at AIDS Outreach Center, he educates others about HIV, particularly those who are newly diagnosed. Terrance engages himself in a number of community events such as Artists Against AIDS, AIDS Outreach Center’s AIDS Walk, and Samaritan House's Run to Joes.

Terrance hopes to return to school and return to his career as a hairstylist. He also wants to write a book someday about his struggle with HIV and the particular barriers he has faced within the African-American community. In whatever way he can, Terrance wants to challenge others to come to terms with HIV in a way that makes the path for others a little easier.

“By getting involved in the community, I am a positive role model,” he says. “My networking helps (all of) us break down barriers.”

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