Whats on my mind? The kind of work I do.

My name is Timothy Daniels I am also known as Timmell Dontrell. I was born, raised and currently located in Jersey City, New Jersey. I am 23 years old, third born out of 6. I am a Full time employee at Jersey City Medical where I am an outreach worker in he field of HIV/AIDS. I help reengage clients to get back into medical care and help keep them into care with vigorous ways of outreach. Making phone calls, doing home visits, and etc are ways of what making clients feel as though they are important, which they are. This job is what you make it. I am very fortunate to be working n this field because it’s a learning process. I have learned so much from just interacting with co-workers, clients, and HIV/AIDS itself. I didn’t think of coming in to this field, my field of choice was to go in the field of criminal justice. Everything has its purpose in life and this was one of them. For many who do know me from the community know that I am HIV+ and have
been January 18, 2007, a few weeks shy of my 20th birthday. This was one of the ways entered this field. I am very much open with it, healthy at this point, and will continue to keep it that way. No, I didn’t come out and tell everyone my status when I found out, due to being looked at much more differently (for being gay and now positive). It took time and once again a process. I told a family member about my status and she went and told my whole family… The only people in my life that knew at the time were my mother, male best friend (Justice), and God sister (Timeka). When I received a call from my uncle who I had been living with since 17 do to circumstances caused by me, he asked me if it was true. I had been living with him for a year without him knowing anything. He felt bad because for one he gave me the option to talk to him about anything, he now knows his nephew is HIV+, and now have to worry if I am going to be alright. Sometimes I do
the fear the worse while living with HIV. The only way I would really get sick is if I don’t take care of myself, as I should. Working in this field you could see a lot of good and bad things go on. It’s up to you to learn from it. I use my short beginning life, mistakes, and accomplishments to help those see a brighter future. Talking to young adults and adults lets just say various ages. Some were at the point of giving up due to being tired physically, mentally, and emotionally sometimes can be hard to penetrate their feelings to continue on living a healthy lifestyle while living with HIV or AIDS. They see me just a person who works with at the hospital when I first walk in, sometimes you get those who don’t want to here anything, but, when you open up about yourself it totally different. I treat you the same way I want to be treated. For them to see a young person who is concerned about people who are in the same boat as he is in helps them
to open up to me. Some ask me “How did you contract this at such an early age (19)? You are only a baby” Telling my story reels them in into believing and knowing that they can overcome the obstacles they have faced. You are Never to young or old to experience hardship. I may not of had the virus for over 5 years or more but, I went through something’s to get where I am at today. I am still going through it. You are not alone. This was a very and still is a very large hump to get over but, I am managing and so can others. Being one of the many young faces of HIV has brought me many closer to learning on how to protect them from the virus and how to take care of them if they’re infected. Many may wonder if I could back in time would I do things differently and relive the moment before contracting the virus. Of course I would do things differently to protect others and myself from contracting the virus. Now if I had to choose living positive or
negative that would be hard question to answer. I say this because living HIV-, being young, cute, and being in or out love can make you do some things you would regret and ultimately cause you have unnecessary problems to occur. Also I don’t think I would have been so receptive in learning about the virus and what it could lead too, plus I would of still been out there doing me. Being positive was a wake up call; literally you were forced to grow up and take care of business by going to all medical appts (appointments) and being stuck with needles because your medical provider needs to know where you stand in your health. Taking medication for the rest of life is a constant reminder of what you have. It doesn’t automatically say you have to be on meds but, when you do, you will realize that it’s not a joke. You can still be in a relationship but, you have to protect your partner and yourself. Because when you do have unprotected sex, you can
potentially infect your partner and also give him or her a strand of the virus where it hard to keep the virus from growing with certain meds. Instead of taking one pill a day you may whine up taking more than 3 or more a day also dealing with the side affects. Just being real, there are times I don’t want to take my one pill each and every night. It more than this but, this what people have to go through on a daily basis. Don’t get me wrong you don’t have to be out having sex with multiple sex partners in order to have a long-term neighbor living inside you. It can take only one time and you are hit. Just have to mindful of your actions, because I know I am. You choose. Do you want to live being HIV positive or negative? Your call, Your life, Your Future, and Your choice.
Timothy "Timmell Dontrell" Daniels