Jeanie Mitchell
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Born: Queens, New York
Currently resides: Washington Heights, Manhattan
Client: since 1991
"I think communication, honesty, and disclosing your
status to your child are very important." |
What was your situation like when you came to GMHC?
I was pretty desperate. I was diagnosed in 1986, and I had been
in a residential therapeutic community from 1990–1991 for people
with AIDS and addiction, where there was a lot of fear. I needed
support for me and my son. I was just trying to find a healthy kind
of support that was more focused on living than on dying.
What kind of services have you used here?
I used to go to a support group for parents with AIDS, and my son
went to a support group for children with parents who had AIDS.
Just having that support for him from an early age has been really
nice. We in the support group got very close, and we'd call and
we'd support each other through a lot of very serious things. The
food pantry was also really helpful, because I've been on social
security and disability since 1991, and it's been a real struggle
to financially make ends meet.
What advice would you offer to other parents living with
AIDS?
I think communication, honesty, and disclosing your status to your
child are very important. While I think it's definitely important
to let your child know, I also think that there should first be
some support for the parent, so that the parent's ready and stabilized.
I think it's also important to get support for your kids when they
do know your status, so that they know they're not alone, that AIDS
is a treatable disease, and that they're okay and can live a full
life. And some people disagree with me, but what always worked for
our family was that the principal of my son's school knew his situation
and knew where he was coming from.
What are your other interests?
Now that I'm stable, healthy, and know I will live a lot longer,
I think some outreach work would be wonderful for me. I've been
very needy, just take-take-take, but now it seems to be more about
giving. Now, it feels really good to help other people and support
them.
June 20, 2003
© 2003 Gay Men's Health Crisis
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