December 1 is World AIDS Day and Roland Chesters was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in 2006 and given two weeks to live at the time of his diagnosis. In his book, Ripples from the Edge of Life, Roland gathers stories from 13 other people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS between 1982 and 2015 and how they have managed their diagnosis and the in particular, the mental ill Health created by the stigma that still surrounds HIV/AIDS. In this episode of Healing Ties, Roland shares his story about his diagnoses while encouraging others to do the same. Listen in and learn how Roland Chesters is creating Healing Ties all around us.
You Might Know Me As The Bow Tie Guy - "Wearing a bow tie is like wearing two smiles."
When people ask me, "why did you create the Whole Care Network"... I always come back to our caregiving experience and how fortunate I was to find resources that helped me and my partner Richard Schiffer manage our caregiving journey. Every caregiver has a story; through our stories, we find validation, resources, and respite to help manage our caregiving day.
We were fortunate to have our story chronicled in a 2015 Pulitzer Prize-nominated 3-part story, “In Sickness and In Health: A Couple’s Final Journey,” which told our journey of caregiving. The story told of the challenges LGBT partners have in dealing with the medical and legal system, but it also told of the love and joy my partner Richard's last years had on our relationship.
