I Am Woman
Free
Hopeful
Loved
Loving
Honest
Giving, sharing
I Am Me Complete
I am who I am
And I will not change
I am proud
And I offer you my heart
I am.
Lisa is 56, single, and living in Queensland. Here she tells a little of her story: “I’m somebody’s sister, somebody’s friend, somebody’s workmate, somebody’s boss, somebody’s companion, somebody’s lover, I’m all of those things. But most of all, I’m Lisa. And I’m truly and really finding me as I get older. I was diagnosed in 1988. I was 26 years of age. I was living in Far North Queensland. As a younger person who was HIV positive, oh god, there were good reasons to be scared in the early days of being HIV positive. My diagnosis was pretty scary because there was nobody. They rang me up and told me that I had HIV. I was working hard. I was 26 years of age. And by the time I was 30, I didn’t have a cent left. I had spent it all, considering I was going die by the time I was 40 years of age. But no, I’m still here. And I just have to say to all of you: Do what you love. Do what you love. Do lots of it, life isn’t that long. You know, even being diagnosed at 26. I was given 3 years to live. I’m 56 now and I’m going to see my 60th birthday. I may see my 70th birthday. More than likely my 80th!”