To me he is sweet and gentle, his soft voice causes me to lean in closer to hear what he has to say, as he gives me advice. To me he is perfect and in my world because he has always been there for me, inspiring me to do new things and never giving up when faced with the obstacles I face in life. He is the one who guides me and makes sure that every step I take is the right one; he is the father and friend that a few young women have.

While Tito is not my biological father, for as long as I can remember, I have called him “papa.” For the past seventeen years, he has been more of a father to me than anyone else. If anyone should wonder what happened to my biological father, he is here in America conquering his “American dream” and working to support his family back in the Dominican Republic. But, he was never there for me when I needed a father figure, or when I needed to have those “girl talks” with someone. Papa Tito was always there for me, when I needed those talks, and when I needed comfort in times of despair.

I never knew that papa Tito was HIV-positive, but then I was innocent and did not really know too much. I love papa Tito to death, and I cannot imagine my life without his advice, without him there for me. I remember the times when he promised me that he would be there when I graduated college, but when I discovered that he was HIV positive, questions popped into my head: what if he is not there to see me walking down the aisle when I graduate? And, what if he is not alive by the time I become a successful woman, like he always waned me to be? These were the questions that destroyed me inside, because I wanted him to be there for me all my life.

From the perspective of a close relationship, HIV has changed my life, because now I am a hypochondriac. I cannot understand how a single microscopic virus could impact the life of a human being to the extent that it means life or death for the person who gets it. HIV has also changed my life because as a result of my career goals, I want to become a pharmacist to help people with diseases like HIV. By becoming a pharmacist I hope to work towards changing our current healthcare system from the inside by providing people with affordable medication.