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Thursday, February 03, 2000     Page: 2A

The following is an excerpt from a speech Christopher Robinson gave several
years ago:
   
I made a decision to go public with my disease because I could no longer
carry such a heavy burden on my shoulders. With this decision I have also made
a personal commitment to speak publicly to people about AIDS and try to
educate in preventing the spread of this disease and also to try and lend
support and comfort to anyone that already has it.
    I go to the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, Md. for experimental
AIDS treatments. Sometimes it gets scary to take new drugs with unknown side
effects but by being in these studies you help other kids with AIDS and also
get a chance to hopefully find a drug that will help me.
   
I used to be afraid of dying from AIDS, but now I feel strong and
determined to live with AIDS. Even though sometimes I feel pretty sick and
tire easily, I try to make the most of my life and try to be positive and live
every day to the fullest. I think I’m still here because of my strong faith in
God and the constant support of my family and friends.