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By BOB NOCEK bobn@leader.net
Sunday, February 06, 2000 Page: 1A
With the death of 18-year-old Christopher Robinson, the region lost an
outspoken voice of compassion and AIDS awareness.
With Christopher’s passing from an AIDS-related illness on Wednesday at
Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, those involved in AIDS treatment and
outreach in the region can’t help but wonder who will fill the void.
“I don’t think it’s possible,” said Allison Cave, who was Christopher’s
caseworker with the Wyoming Valley AIDS Council.
“He’s one of the best speakers I’ve ever had the opportunity to meet and
work with, and I’ve been in the field a long time,” said Mark Innocenzi,
director of HIV education and outreach for American Red Cross of the Wyoming
Valley. “In the short five years I knew him, he literally became my hero.”
As of November, there were 114 men, women and children known to be infected
with HIV or AIDS in Luzerne and Wyoming counties. Many remain silent about the
disease for fear of discrimination or rejection by family, friends, and
employers.
Very few speak out publicly, as Christopher did so often in his young life.
In the five years since he took his AIDS status public – in the Times Leader
series “Christopher’s Secret – he relentlessly spread the message to the
region and to the world that AIDS wasn’t something to fear.
“I think he became a voice for many people who weren’t willing to share,”
Innocenzi said. “I don’t think he realized that he became a voice for so many
people.”
Robinson and his mother, Dawn Rebarchak, participated in all three of the
region’s AIDS Walks in 1996-98. They told of Christopher’s struggles, and
warned others to protect themselves.
“I beg everyone to get educated, learn how to prevent this disease from
spreading,” Christopher told a crowd of 1,000 at the 1996 AIDS Walk. “I
can’t tell you how hard AIDS is on myself and my family. Make the choice.
Don’t make it hard on yourself. Prevent AIDS.”
“I think what Chris was able to do was put a face on a disease that was
really not very well known in this area,” said Bonnie Sutton, executive
director of the Wyoming Valley AIDS Council. “Chris Robinson is to
Wilkes-Barre what Ryan White was to the country: a charming, delightful young
man who struggled and struggled and struggled, but never gave up, never got
down. I think especially young people were impacted by him.”
Christopher frequently spoke to his peers in local high schools. Often,
those hearing him had never before met anyone with AIDS or had the opportunity
to question someone with the disease. They asked the expected: How did you get
it? They often asked personal questions: Do you have sex? Are you afraid of
dying?
He tried his best to answer in a way teens might understand. Christopher
knew all about resistant strains and protease inhibitors, but didn’t burden
his talks with the technical knowledge.
“He related his life in such simplistic terms and yet with such vast
knowledge that anybody who heard him speak understood this virus on every
level,” Innocenzi said.
Innocenzi recalled one particular appearance, at a statewide youth summit
in Harrisburg last year, when Christopher made a particularly powerful impact.
“They were so blown away by him – by his maturity, his honesty, and they
were so impressed by his fight,” Innocenzi said. “One, with tears in his
eyes, said `I will never contract this virus.’ Because of what Chris said to
people, not only children, they really did take a look at what they needed to
do to stay negative.”
Last year, the Times Leader interviewed several of Robinson’s friends about
AIDS and Christopher’s impact on their understanding of the disease. Most
found out about Christopher in eighth grade, when he first told his story in
the newspaper.
“The more that you know, the less afraid you become,” said Jehan Khan,
who was a Crestwood sophomore at the time.
“I was really uneducated before,” said Billy Motel, then a junior. “I
was only in seventh grade. But when I started hearing about it and met him, my
attitude changed.”
Now comes the most difficult task – finding someone who can continue the
impact that Christopher did.
“I would hope and pray,” Innocenzi said, “that through Christopher’s
life and what he brought to our area, that even young people who have
contracted HIV would want to take the torch and do it for him, do it in his
memory.”
Nocek can be reached at 829-7250.