I want to talk about a man & I won't give you his name. Google him if you feel the need. 12 years ago there was a man now known as the Berlin Patient. Thought to be the 1st person cured of HIV. It was via a transplant he received to fight cancer. This process led to his cure & his life was defined. Over a decade later another person was cured in the same manner. Since then a few more have followed.
This man pushed for the action to be researched. He wanted others cured. But he was defined. Now his cancer has returned & his definition has been amended.
He is the Gay, former Washingtonian, international student who studied in Germany. He was HIV+ & developed cancer. He had treatment that handled his cancer & cured his HIV. He was dubbed the Berlin Patient. He was the cured man who pushed for research. He was the 1st. His cancer returned & it's terminal. He is now a resident of a California hospice. Final points, will be added soon.
To many, that's all this man is or ever will be. Many of us have been defined by surface details & things beyond our control. This man is my age. I've had others react to me over cursory definitions. Often, those things were wrong. Often they were reflections of my situation at the time. Often, they were a tiny detail of my life made to be significant. I've interacted with so many people in my life, but so few of them ever bothered to know me. Even those, I thought of as friends. Even those who I was related to.
This man, you, me & everyone else... we are all more the best or worst moments of our lives. Life happens & things come before us, they may alter us, even change our course. But, they don't get to be our definition. Even if you look up the Berlin Patient. It's not easy to find much more about him than what I've posted.
He was a real, human person that was so much more than these points. He's on his journey through life. So are we. Be kind.
Cya...
PS - My appointment went well.
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