Hydeia broadbent biography template

Hydeia Broadbent, the first Black youth activist born with HIV to publically share her HIV status at the age of 5, tragically passed away on February 20, at age Hydeia appeared on many public platforms combating HIV stigma and spreading awareness around people born with HIV, leaving an indelible mark with her remarkable bravery and resilience.

As the global HIV community collectively mourns the loss of Hydeia, Positive Women’s Network-USA extends our deepest condolences to her family, friends, and the entire HIV community. As a network of women and TGNC people living with HIV, mostly Black and people of color, there are no words to adequately express our gratitude for the myriad ways Hydeia changed the face of the epidemic, confronted stigma head on, and demanded dignity as a child living with HIV. Truly, many of us would not have survived without Hydeia’s courage, brilliance, and commitment.

And yet what we’re feeling and hearing from community right now is more than sadness - it’s anger; fury; it’s righteous indignation.

Hydeia’s story is an encapsulation of the systemic injustice our people have been facing for decades; her experience is an example of the ways misogynoir and capitalism are murdering Black women with impunity. Her death and the struggles throughout her life were not an accident, they were preventable and easily so. Hydeia gave and gave of herself since early childhood: her status, her story, her pain, her trauma, her reputation, her privacy; every bit of her emotional, mental, and physical labor were commodified. So how could she experience the severe lack of resources and support that led directly to her passing? It’s egregious, and it’s by design.

Compare for example society’s treatment of Hydeia in contrast to Ryan White. Both were children born with HIV in the s who, despite their severe struggles with health and discrimination, used their voice on the public stage in the fight for the rights of people living with HIV. Ryan White

Activist

At a Glance&#x;

Diagnosed with HIV

Sought Treatment at NIH

Became AIDS Activist

Sources

Hydeia Broadbent became known as a teenage AIDS activist. She contracted HIV at birth from her drug addicted biological mother and has battled the disease ever since with the help of her adopted parents, Patricia and Loren Broadbent. She began speaking publicly about the disease while assisting her mother&#x;s activism, but eventually she overshadowed her own mother with her effective speaking style. Hydeia Broadbent traveled the country educating people of all ages about the dangers of AIDS and how to protect themselves from contracting it.

Hydeia Broadbent was born June 14, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Her biological mother was a drug addict who abandoned her at the hospital just after she was born. Broadbent was then taken to a county-run temporary children&#x;s facility called Child Haven until she could be placed in a foster home and eventually be adopted by a permanent family.

At six weeks old Baby Girl Kelloggs, as she was then called, was placed in the home of Patricia and Loren Broadbent. The Broadbents already had four adopted children: Kendall, an adult, Paige and Kimmie, who were teenagers, and Briana, who was only three years old. They had served as foster parents for numerous children, including other drug babies like Hydeia. Loren Broadbent worked as a glass contractor. Patricia Broadbent was a veteran social worker who had left that stressful line of work to become a supervisor for a printing plant. She was still active with children, however, serving as the unit director for Boys Club of America and executive director of Camp Fire Girls, as well as being a foster parent.

When Hydeia came to the Broadbents she weighed less than six pounds and was dressed in doll&#x;s clothes because she was too small for infant wear. She had problems eating and often experienced crying fits, but the Broadbents did not find

We regret to announce the death of Ms. Hydeia Broadbent, who passed away on the 20th of February, Born on June 14, , she embraced every moment of her 39 years with spirit and passion, leaving a significant impact on the lives of everyone who knew her.

Hydeia was passionate about continued education and awareness, always striving to further her knowledge and understanding of the world around her. She believed in living authentically and taught us all, through her own example, that it's okay to just be yourself, in whatever skin you're in. Her central belief was to live your truth and to accept others as they live theirs. This lesson, amongst many others, has left an enduring mark on those whose lives she touched.

Hydeia is survived by an extensive and loving family. She leaves behind her mother, Patricia Broadbent, and her father, Loren Broadbent. Her siblings, Bryana Harris, Kalani Davis, Kendall Franklin, Paige Davis, Patricia Franklin, Shaina Colombo, Kimberly McCoy, Ronald Dishmon, Michael Dowling, and Crystal Smith will miss their sister dearly. Her nieces, Lambra Lamphier, Vaida Franklin, Xoie Ferguson, and Charliece Woods, and her nephews, Kao O'Neal, Kendall Franklin Jr., Syrus Colombo, and Alaric Colombo, will remember their aunt with fondness and love.

A viewing for Hydeia will be held on March 6, , starting at PM, at S Rainbow Blvd. Family, friends, and loved ones are invited to come and honor Hydeia's life, to share memories, and to support each other during this difficult time.

We remember Hydeia for her indomitable spirit, passion, and her ability to inspire others. Her legacy of love, acceptance, and authenticity will continue to live on in the hearts of those who loved her. She will be greatly missed.

Who Was Hydeia Broadbent

An inspiration to young activists everywhere, the world lost a beautiful soul in Hydeia Broadbent.

After testing positive for HIV at the age of three, Hydeia became one of the most notable child activists of her generation. Hydeia appeared on Oprah Winfrey’s show, breaking down hate at the height of the AIDS crisis. When asked what the hardest part of having AIDS was, eleven-year-old Hydeia answered: "When your friends die. That's the hardest part because you love them and you always lose a friend to AIDS A lot of my friends have died of AIDS."

She made frequent television appearances after that, including a spot with Magic Johnson on Nickelodeon, committing her childhood to fighting for those like her. Hydeia humanized the AIDS crisis and inspired countless activists to join the fight against stigma. She passed away in February at the young age of

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Remembering Hydeia Broadbent

How does one honor a life as precious and impactful as Hydeia’s?

The AIDS Memorial Quilt was created to remember and celebrate the stories and lives of those lost to HIV/AIDS. Drivers of change use the Quilt as a powerful tool to bring generations together and raise awareness about the impact of the ongoing epidemic.

In the winter of , the National AIDS Memorial partnered with our friends at LINKS, Inc. for a series of panel-making workshops in Georgia. One of the nation’s oldest organizations committed to ensuring the culture and economic survival of African Americans, they joined us to honor lives lost to AIDS in the Black community and beyond.

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Hydeia's Sorority, Sigma Gamma Rho, attended one of those workshops. They worked on the initial design for a Hydeia Broadbent panel, a beautiful AIDS Memorial Quilt panel in her honor, ensuring that her life and legacy of activism will not be forgotten.

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At an Atlanta, GA event for National Women and Girls HIV Awareness Day with Gilead Sciences, we s