COMPREHENSIVE CARE:
BONNIE’S
STORY
BONNIE WAS DIAGNOSED IN HER FIRST YEAR OF EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS in Texas after ending up in the hospital for a kidney infection. After a blood test, she was diagnosed as living with HIV. With only 33 T cells and no knowledge of HIV, she didn’t know how long she was going to live. She was immediately connected to care thanks to the health department but continued to experience homelessness for years. After 6 years of living in the woods with her pet pig and two other friends, she knew it was time to secure stable housing so that she could get her daughter back. Bonnie turned to ASA to secure housing, provide nutritious meals through our food bank, and social support through the Women Rising Project, which gave her the stability to focus on her health. By getting her into a two-bedroom apartment, Bonnie regained custody of her 16 year old daughter and is so happy to be by her daughter’s side everyday. Thanks to our peer to peer support programs, she has regained the confidence to start dating again. Her current partner has started PrEP so that he remains negative, and he supports Bonnie remaining in care.
“Having a place to call home is not a luxury. It’s a basic human right.” – Mamadou Balde, Director of Housing Services
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