Young and Positive

Trevion and Norena Gutierrez share their story on how and when they share HIV/AIDS status to family and friends.

I remember my first Pride. Oh my God, I think it was like the best day of my life. It was just a day where I can be myself, a day where I could relax, a day where I could just feel free.

QNotes continues with this fifth installment of this special series by mother and son, Norena Gutierrez and Trevion Gutierrez.

Two weeks went by, and I was thrilled to be feeling better. I could get up without the nurse’s help. The nausea and vomiting was finally over. I started to wander the ninth floor of Levine Children’s Hospital and rebuild my muscle. I was becoming — day by day — happier. I think, but I wasn’t sure.

Trevion: My mom and I used to volunteer as ushers for the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center before all this HIV-positive stuff started.

Within the hour of being diagnosed, I was on YouTube. Checking out testimonies and speeches, researching misconceptions about the virus.

Together, mother and son recount their shared experiences in learning of Trevion’s HIV status and navigating life in the wake of the news.