Ngifuna Ukwabelana Ngeqiniso Ngokuphila Nengculaza

-Delile

• Ukuphuza ukubhekana nobulili bakhe
• Ukuthola ukuxilongwa kwengculaza ngenkathi ulwa nokulutha
• Ukugqugquzela ukwaziswa nge-HIV ne-AIDS
• Ukuthola umdlavuza osangulukile futhi obhekene nawo

Ngenkathi ukwelashwa kwe-HIV ne-AIDS kuhambe ibanga elide, uDaniel Garza uhlanganyela ngohambo lwakhe neqiniso ngokuphila nalesi sifo.

Impilo nokuphila kahle kuthinta ngamunye wethu ngokuhlukile. Le yindaba yomuntu oyedwa.

Kusukela ngesikhathi uDaniel Garza eneminyaka emihlanu, wayazi ukuthi ukhangwa ngabafana. Kepha ukuvela kumlando wamaKatolika waseMexico, ukubhekana nokugcwaliseka kwathatha iminyaka.

Lapho eneminyaka engu-3 ubudala, umndeni kaGarza washiya iMexico ukuze uthuthele eDallas, eTexas.

"Njengesizukulwane sokuqala saseMelika futhi ngiyindodana okuwukuphela kwayo yomndeni waseMexico, wamaKatolika, ogcina imvelo, ingcindezi enkulu nokulindelwe okuhambisana nalokho," kusho uGarza etshela uHealthline.

Lapho uGarza eneminyaka engu-18, wayephuma nomndeni wakhe, owahlangana naye ngempelasonto ye-Thanksgiving ngo-1988.

“Babengeneme ngendlela konke okwaphuma ngayo. Kuthathe iminyaka eminingi yokwelashwa ukubhekana nokuphendula kwabo. Ubaba wami wayenomqondo wokuthi kwakuyisigaba nje nokuthi kwakuyiphutha lakhe, kodwa ukuthi ngangishintshwa, ”kukhumbula uGarza.

Umama wakhe wadumala kakhulu ngokuthi uGarza wayengamethembi ngokwanele ukuthi angamtshela.

“Mina nomama sasisondelene kakhulu ngisemncane, futhi wayeza kimi kaningi ebuza ukuthi ngabe kukhona okwenzekayo noma ngabe kukhona engangifuna ukumtshela khona. Ngangihlala ngithi 'cha.' Lapho ngikhishwa emsebenzini, wayethukuthele kakhulu ukuthi angishelanga isifuba sakhe kuye, ”kusho uGarza.

Ukuphuza ukubhekana nobulili bakhe

Ngaphambi kokuba avuleke ngokuba yisitabane, uGarza waqala ukulwa notshwala eneminyaka engaba ngu-15.

“Kukhona iphakethe eliphelele eliza nokuphuza kimi. Bekungukucindezela kontanga obekuzenzela kona uqobo futhi ngifuna ukwamukeleka kwezinye izingane, kanye nokufuna ukuzizwa ngikhululekile ngobulili bami, ”usho kanje.

Lapho eneminyaka engu-17 ubudala, wathola ibha yezitabane eyamvumela ukuba angene.

“Ngingaba umfana oyisitabane futhi ngingene kahle. Ngangifisa ukusondelana nabanye abafana. Ngesikhathi ngisemncane, ngangisondelene nobaba wami futhi umama wami wayengumama omncane wendiza enophephela emhlane. Ngicabanga ukuthi wayazi ukuthi ngangihlukile ngandlela-thile ngakho-ke ukungivikela akazange angivumele ngihlanganyele noma ngenze okuningi nabanye abafana, ”kusho uGarza. “Ukuya endaweni yokucobelela izitabane nokuphuza kulapho bekungafanele ngibe yindodana ephelele noma umfowethu oqondile. Ngingahamba nje, ngikubalekele konke, futhi ngingakhathazeki ngalutho. ”

Ngenkathi ethi ufuna ubungani namadoda, olayini babevame ukufiphazwa ngezocansi nobungani.

Ukuthola ukuxilongwa kwengculaza ngenkathi ulwa nokulutha

Uma ebheka emuva, uGarza ukholelwa ukuthi uthole igciwane lesandulela ngculaza ebuhlotsheni obungajwayelekile eminyakeni yakhe yama-20. Kodwa ngaleso sikhathi, wayengazi ukuthi uyagula. Ubeqala nokho ukulwa nomlutha wezidakamizwa notshwala.

“Manje ngangineminyaka engama-24, futhi ngangingazi ukuthi ngifanele ngisingathe kanjani ubuhlobo. Ngangifuna uhlobo lobudlelwano umama nobaba wami ababenalo nodadewethu nabayeni babo, kodwa ngangingazi ukuthi ngingakudlulisela kanjani lokho ebudlelwaneni bezitabane, ”kusho uGarza.“Ngakho-ke, cishe iminyaka emihlanu, ngangiphuza nezidakamizwa ngithole isizwe sami sabanye abenza okufanayo. Ngangigcwele intukuthelo. ”

Ngo-1998, uGarza wathuthela eHouston wayohlala nabazali bakhe. Kodwa wayelokhu ephuza futhi edla izidakamizwa ngenkathi esebenza endaweni yokudlela ukuze enze imali.

“Ngazaca impela. Ngangingakwazi ukudla, ngaba nokujuluka ebusuku, isifo sohudo, nokuhlanza. Ngolunye usuku, esinye sezivakashi zami ezivamile satshela umphathi wami ukuthi angibukeki kahle. Umphathi wami wathi angigoduke ngiyozinakekela, ”kusho uGarza.

Ngenkathi uGarza esola umbuso wakhe ngokuphuza, ukusebenzisa izidakamizwa nokuya emicimbini, uthi wayazi ukuthi izimpawu zakhe zihlobene nengculazi. Ngokushesha nje emva kokubuya emsebenzini, wagcina esibhedlela enamaseli ayi-108 T enesisindo esingamakhilogremu ayi-108. Wathola ukuxilongwa ngokusemthethweni kwe-AIDS ngoSepthemba 2000 eneminyaka engama-30 ubudala.

Ngenkathi esesibhedlela amasonto amathathu, wayengakwazi ukufinyelela ezidakamizweni noma kotshwala. Kodwa-ke, ngemuva kokukhululwa, wabuyela eHouston wayohlala yedwa wabuyela ekuphuzeni nasezidakamizweni.

"Ngahlangana ne-bartender futhi kwaba yilokho," kusho uGarza.

Kwaze kwaba ngo-2007 lapho uGarza angena ezinsukwini ezingama-90 zokuvuselelwa okuyalelwe yinkantolo. Ubelokhu ehlanzekile kusukela lapho.

“Bangiphule futhi bangisiza ukuhlanganisa yonke into. Ngichithe iminyaka eyishumi edlule ngigcwalisa izingcezu futhi, ”kusho uGarza.

Ukugqugquzela ukwaziswa nge-HIV ne-AIDS

Ngalo lonke ulwazi alutholile nolwazi, uGarza unikela ngesikhathi sakhe ekusizeni abanye.

Ngikholwa ukuthi sonke sinqobe izinto ezinzima ezimpilweni zethu, nathi
sonke singafunda komunye nomunye.

Ummeli wakhe waqala ngokutholakala ukuthi une-HIV. Uqale ngokuzithandela ukukhipha amakhondomu enkampanini yaseTexas ancike kuyena ukuze athole ukuxhaswa nezinsizakalo. Kwathi ngo-2001, i-ejensi yamcela ukuthi aye embukisweni wezempilo ekolishi lomphakathi wakule ndawo ayokhuluma nabafundi.

“Ngangiqala ngqa ukuzibonakalisa ngine-HIV. Yilapho futhi engaqala khona ukuzifundisa mina nomndeni wami, kanye nabanye, ngengculazi ngoba sahambisa amapheshana alesi sifo engangizofunda ngifunde kuwo, ”kuchaza uGarza.

Eminyakeni edlule, ubesebenzela izinhlangano zaseTexas ezifana neThe Valley AIDS Council, iThomas Street Clinic eseHouston, iHouston Ryan White Planning Council, iChild Protective Services yaseHouston, kanye neRadiant Health Centres.

Ubuye futhi wabuyela ekolishi waba ngumeluleki wezidakamizwa notshwala. Uyinxusa futhi uyisikhulumi somphakathi e-University of California, Irvine, naseShanti Orange County. Uma lokho bekunganele, ungusihlalo weLaguna Beach HIV Advisory Committee, inhlangano eyeluleka umkhandlu wakhe wedolobha ngezinqubomgomo nezinsizakalo ezihlobene ne-HIV- ne-AIDS.

Ngokwabelana ngendaba yakhe, uGarza unethemba lokuthi ngeke kufundise abantu abasha kuphela
mayelana nobulili obuphephile ne-HIV ne-AIDS, kodwa futhi nokuqeda umbono wokuthi i-AIDS iyiyo
kulula ukuphatha nokwelapha.

"Labo abangeyona ingxenye yomphakathi we-HIV bavame ukucabanga ukuthi abantu abane-HIV baphila sonke lesi sikhathi ngakho-ke akunakuba kubi kangako noma kungaphansi kokulawulwa noma imithi namuhla iyasebenza," kusho uGarza.

“Uma ngixoxa ngodaba lwami, angifuni ukuhawukelwa, ngithola iphuzu lokuthi i-HIV inzima ukuhlala nayo. Kodwa futhi, ngikhombisa ukuthi noma ngine-AIDS, angizukuvumela umhlaba udlule ngami. Nginendawo kuwo, futhi lokho kuzoya ezikoleni ukuzama ukuhlenga izingane. ”

Kepha phakathi kwezinkulumo zakhe, uGarza akuyona yonke inhlekelele nobumnyama. Usebenzisa amandla ahlekisayo namahlaya ukuxhumana nezilaleli zakhe. "Ukuhleka kwenza izinto zibe lula ukugaya," kusho uGarza.

Ubuye asebenzise indlela yakhe yokukhuthaza abantu bayo yonke iminyaka nezizinda ngePodcast yakhe yePut It Together. Ngesikhathi sesiqephu somshayeli wezindiza ngo-2012, uGarza wakhuluma ngezocansi, izidakamizwa ne-HIV. Kusukela lapho, wandisa ububanzi bayo ukuze afake izivakashi ezinezizinda ezahlukahlukene.

"Ngifuna ukwabelana ngezindaba zabantu ababuyisela izimpilo zabo ndawonye," kusho uGarza. "Ngikholwa wukuthi sonke sinqobe izinto ezinzima ezimpilweni zethu, futhi sonke singafunda komunye nomunye."

Ukuthola umdlavuza osangulukile futhi obhekene nawo

Ngesikhathi sokuzotha, wabhekana nesinye isithiyo: ukuxilongwa komdlavuza wendunu. UGarza uthole lokhu kutholakala ngonyaka ka-2015 eneminyaka engama-44 futhi waba nezinyanga zokwelashwa ngamakhemikhali kanye nemisebe.

Ngo-2016, kwakudingeka afakelwe isikhwama se-colostomy, asiqamba ngokuthi uTommy.

Isoka lakhe leminyaka eminingi, uChristian, laliseceleni kwakhe ngokuxilongwa komdlavuza, ukwelashwa nokuhlinzwa kwesikhwama se-colostomy. Uphinde wasiza uGarza ukubhala uhambo lwakhe kumagazini wevidiyo wakwa-YouTube obizwa nge- "A Bag Named Tommy."

Amavidiyo ami anikeza ukuveza okuthembekile kokuphila nakho konke enginakho.

UGarza ubelokhu exoxa nomdlavuza kusukela ngoJulayi 2017. Izimpawu zakhe ze-AIDS ziyalawuleka yize ethi imiphumela emibi edalwa yimithi, efana nomfutho wegazi ophakeme ne-cholesterol, iyashintshashintsha. Unenhliziyo ebubula, ukhathele njalo, futhi ubhekana nesifo samathambo.

Ukudana nokukhathazeka bekulokhu kuyinkinga iminyaka, futhi ezinye izinsuku zingcono kunezinye.

“Bengingazi ukuthi kune-PTSD ehlobene nezempilo. Ngenxa yakho konke umzimba wami odlule kukho konke ukuphila kwami, ngihlala ngiqaphile ukuthi kukhona okwenzekayo ngomzimba wami noma, ngakolunye uhlangothi, ngingaphika ukuthi kukhona okwenzekayo ngomzimba wami, ”kusho uGarza.

… Noma ngine-AIDS, angizukuvumela umhlaba udlule
mina.

Garza ngesikhathi lapho engathatha khona isinyathelo emuva abuye aqonde konke azizwayo nakucabangayo.

“Ngiyabona ukuthi kungani ngicindezelekile noma ngithukuthele ngezinye izikhathi. Umzimba wami nengqondo nomphefumulo kudlule kokuningi, ”kusho uGarza. "Ngilahlekelwe kakhulu futhi ngazuza okuningi ukuze ngikwazi ukuzibheka sengiphelele manje."

Njengoba ilandiswa nguDaniel Garza kuCathy Cassata

UCathy Cassata ungumbhali ozimele ogxile ezindabeni eziphathelene nempilo, impilo yengqondo nokuziphatha kwabantu. Unekhono lokubhala ngomzwelo nokuxhumana nabafundi ngendlela enokuqonda nebandakanyayo. Funda kabanzi ngomsebenzi wakhe lapha.