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Tuesday, February 08, 2000 Page: 2A
This college application essay which Christopher Robinson wrote two weeks
before his death appeared on the back of his funeral Mass program on Monday:
I have lived a pretty eventful life in my 18 years on this planet, most of
it centering around the fact that I contracted the HIV virus from blood
products when I was 6 years old. The disease progressed and about seven years
later I was considered as having full-blown AIDS. I have been hospitalized
many times with many different ailments since then. Having AIDS drastically
changes the life of anyone, and it has changed mine.
As much as my health has changed due to this, I consider contracting this
virus the second most important event of my life. Even more important to me
was to tell the world that I had AIDS. Taking that risk has changed my life so
much. I not only relieved the burden of a secret that huge, but now I can help
other people either deal with the fact they too are positive or try to help
educate people who are negative. I can, and have, done both of these things
all over the world, and I can speak my mind freely and without any inhibitions
because I accepted the fact that I was positive and I was going to do anything
I can to help others learn more about the disease.
If I did not tell my secret, my life would be so much different. If I
didn’t tell the community of my disease, I would just be a very sick kid with
a mystery disease. I would not have done the traveling that I have done. I
would not have traveled to Houston or San Francisco or Chicago or London,
England. I have tried to live my life to the fullest and I think I have so
far, most of it due to the fact that I have AIDS and I’m not afraid to tell
anyone that.