Eddie
Born in Puerto Rico, Eddie moved to New York when he was young. He started getting into trouble which led to drugs and eventually, a stint in prison. His drug habits only worsened after he was released and in 2000, he received the diagnosis that he was HIV positive.
“When I heard this, I didn’t know what to think or what to do,” he said. “I could only think, ‘How could I do this to myself?’ I really didn’t know what to do, so I followed my first instinct and hid from everything. My disease, myself, my family. I couldn’t tell my family what was wrong and that I was sick, so I left them. I couldn’t accept myself, how could I expect them to accept me?”

Eddie moved into the shelters and was bumped around from location to location, making it nearly impossible for him to get a grasp on how to retake control of his life. That was until he met Jorge, a case manager from Care for the Homeless that helped Eddie receive treatment and counseling for his drug problem as well as finding him an apartment.

“Now I have my own place and have transformed my outlook on virtually everything,” he said. “Since I got my apartment, my life has turned around completely. I have learned to live with HIV, and I have found the strength to tell those who love me the truth about my life. I have begun to see my family again, I have started going to educational groups on HIV, I have been attending meetings for former drug addicts and now I can learn from others. I know that I have come a long way and I have to go even further on my journey, but with the help and support I get, I feel like I can do anything.”

See other stories at "Homeless Voices."