Who's Positive

March 17, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HIV/AIDS ACTIVIST TO APPEAR ON "CALL THE DOCTOR”

At age 28, Williamsport native Tom Donohue knows he is HIV positive. He also knows that half of all new HIV infections will occur in people younger than 25. In 2003, he established Who’s Positive, a national organization dedicated to AIDS/HIV awareness. By sharing his story, he believes he humanizes HIV and helps others understand the need for the prevention of HIV infection.

He will share his story on Call the Doctor in the WVIA-TV studio theater on Tuesday, April 8, 2008 at 7 PM on WVIA-TV. The public is invited to attend.

Who’s Positive is known nationally for its ability to humanize HIV through first hand accounts of young adults living with HIV. Donohue and his volunteers have successfully empowered thousands of young adults to be tested for HIV. Through the efforts of Who’s Positive, Donohue has testified before the Federal Drug Administration in favor of a rapid, over the counter HIV test. The organization has been featured on CNN and The Logo Network. Most notably, in 2006, Who’s Positive launched the first ever youth driven HIV testing drive and awareness campaign called Operation: Get Tested. Donohue and 6 HIV positive youth traveled across the country sharing their stories and offering free HIV tests at most locations.

“My work could not be any more important,” says Donohue. ”My life has a purpose and that is to help provide a face, a story, a voice of someone who is infected with HIV. I believe that understanding HIV is much more than reading about it from a text book. It’s the understanding that HIV not only infects but it also affects everyone around them,” reports Donohue.

Donohue will join health care workers from Northeastern Pennsylvania as they introduce viewers and the studio audience to the physical, mental and emotional needs of individuals with HIV/AIDS in our regional communities. Infectious Disease Specialist, Dr. Michael Foltzer from Geisinger Medical Center in Danville will participate in the Call the Doctor panel along with Megan Margavage, Case Manager from the Wyoming Valley AIDS Council.

Call the Doctor is moderated by George Thomas. Anyone interested in reserving a seat for this live broadcast can call 570-602-1132 or email: marytheresamazur@wvia.org. Please include the number of seats needed and a contact name and phone number. Viewers may call in questions during the show at 1-800-326-9842. Interested viewers may also e-mail questions and comments to contactctd@wvia.org.

So over the last few months I've had some ehhh non HIV related issues. I believe I had MSRA - a skin infection, long story short I kept getting boils on my butt - several at a time - honestly it was horrible because I sit on my butt a lot when I am flying - no one seemed to know what it was or what to do after two months they all finally went away. But today my roommate told me that he had tested positive for it - they biopsied a boil he had and i figured that's probably the one issue I had - all at the same time I had also came down with Giardia AGAIN - that is a GI issue - a parasite I had that for like two months everything I ate just flushed through me - yeah tough two months - finally the dept of health took me out of work for a few days and I was able to get it cleared up. Then finally on top of it all I have this anal tear - well I actually have had it for a long time but its developed into an anal ulcer. Yeah, it bleeds and drains and all, well the boils and MSRA are all cleared up and on Friday - next week, they are going to put me under and biopsy the anal tear - because it looks weird it has a bunch of what I would call webbing - like five holes and so they are going to put me under in an operating room and really look at it to see what can be done with it. For now I am putting cotton up against it so when it drains it drains into the cotton ball - i know details huh? lol anyway, to the topic, with all this going on my #'s are AWESOME!!

Cd4 732 and viral load not detectable. WOOO WHO!!!

And on top of it I lost nearly 50 pounds and looking really good, just ask Bryan the b/f of now four months. I am really excited bc we are overnighting in Hilton Head in April together - which means that I have to operate a flight into Hilton Head, SC and Bryan is going to fly in and meet me there - we stay at a hotel right off of the ocean and I am really excited to be able to spend some "quality" time with him walking the ocean one nice perk about flying. We've been dating for FOUR months now, although we don't see as much of each other at times but its been really nice to have him there for me down here in VA while going through all this stuff. So honestly things could not be any better at the moment.

Alright - well I am going to get going - I am gonna head to bed, sweet dreams everyone - esp Bryan

Tom

Well I am excited to renew my efforts in writing on the Who's Positive blog. Why you may ask? well, because its also being simulcasted on facebook, my own Public Figure page on facebook. Check it out and add yourself to be a fan if you want. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tom-Donohue/12256382291

Actually, its much more than that. I want to really begin discussions on stuff surrounding HIV/AIDS

Today's topic I wanted to discuss is my medications. I wonder how much you think is my medications are... a month? Well without my insurance it is $1,390.36 thats $14,721.46 a year!

Now there is a program called ADAP AIDS Drug Assistance Program (http://www.kaisernetwork.org/health_cast/player_kff.cfm?id=28#) is a great video on the program

How is it that we have waiting lists? Really? Aren't we like the richest country in the world and we have people on waiting lists waiting for VERY EXPENSIVE medications to help those dying from HIV/AIDS.

I am lucky I am healthy, I have health insurance which covers my medications - it's one of the major reasons I decided to become a flight attendant - so that I could free up funding for others who cant work or don't have the money for their medications. I use the mail service where they mail me 60 days worth of medication for $60 bucks. In comparisons to the nearly $1400 and at times it was $1700 when I lived back in PA.

This is why we must continue to bring this to the forefront - we must contact our elected officials and remind them that its so important for them to fund ADAP program and ask them why its not compeletely funded. I bet if we reduce some of pork barrel funding and reduce our troops fighting in a country thats not even ours we could really help begin taking care of our own people here... in our own country of the United States.