Long-Time AIDS Activist Passes Away at 39

Longtime AIDS activist and crusader Hydeia Broadbent has passed away at 39. At birth, Broadbent was abandoned at the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas where Patricia and Loren Broadbent adopted her as an infant. Being born HIV-positive, doctors believed that she would not live past the age of five. She defied all the odds against her to educate millions with her story. Now her legacy lives on. In 1996 on “The Oprah Winfrey Show”, a young Hydeia captivated the world when she shared her experience in living with AIDS in front of millions of viewers. Broadbent was born in 1984 with HIV, and was born addicted to crack and heroin. She was adopted at 6 weeks old, and her adoptive parents, Loren and Patricia Broadbent, found out she had HIV three years after her adoption. Before her death, Broadbent traveled all over the globe making on-air appearances and connected with people of all different cultures to share her story of courage, and tips on how to avoid at-risk behaviors through informed decision-making. As one of the first African-American youth to openly discuss HIV/AIDS, Broadbent has been recognized as a top influencer by EBONY, TheGrio.com, TheRoot.com, Essence,...