LAURINBURG — HIV survivor Gary Lowery would have predicted a different future for himself 10 years ago.
But on the eve of World AIDS Day, Lowery said he had both health and happiness.
Lowery shared his story this week as part of a World AIDS Day Candlelight vigil organized by the Scotland County Health Department HIV Education and Resource Team and the Borderbelt AIDS Resource Team (BART).
More than 30 people attended Tuesday night’s event to hear statistics, stories and songs for the annual vigil service, at the Scotland Emergency Operations Center ahead of World Aids Day, which is Today.
The vigil has been going on annually for over 15 years acorrding to H.E.A.R.T and BART officails.
During the lighting of the candles, each guest shared why they were supporting those with HIV and AIDS, as well as who they specifically were honoring during the vigil. Once the candles were lit, a moment of silence followed to honor those have passed from the autoimmune disease and those who live with the illness daily.
“If you would have asked me that I would be standing here in the health I am in today, I would have said you are wrong,” said Lowery, who has been living with HIV for 29 years. “There are days I still struggle with living with this disease, but the thing is I am looking forward now and I know I am a survivor because I am standing here today.”
While more than 36 million people have died from AIDS-related causes, scientific communities are also celebrating some of the largest breakthroughs in AIDS research and prevention advancements.
Lowery has gone from taking nine pills three times a day, while following a strict diet when he was originally diagnosed, to now only taking one pill a day and recently going back to school to earn a degree to be a barber.
Currently, there are 140 people living in Scotland County with HIV and 58 with AIDS, according to H.E.A.R.T.
Benita Mullis with the Scotland County Health Department sang a song that blew the audience away and earned a thunderous applause. She was followed by the Antioch Drama Team, who danced and preformed two songs.
“I actually went out and interviewed people who were or may have been exposed to HIV,” said Kristen Patterson, Scotland Health Department director. “Being from Scotland County, you want to not only come back home to educate, but try to reduce the rates here.”
The best way to combat against HIV/AIDS is through education, awareness and making smart decisions, according Health Department officials.
“We have actually had an increase in testing,” Patterson said. “It was a substantial number of people.”
World AIDS Day is an international public health campaign promoting awareness of HIV and AIDS prevention and research, as well as education on resources for those impacted by the global epidemic. Despite continued improvements in research and care, tremendous flaws in the global response to HIV and AIDS still remain. Large racial disparities in access to prevention medicine like PrEP and resources for those impacted by the virus exist throughout the U.S., while about 5,753 people contract HIV each day worldwide.
