Sam Amico
Noted AIDS activist Hydeia Broadbent, who was born with the disease and became an adopted foster child, has died. She was 39.
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Broadbent died of natural causes, her father said in a social media post.
Broadbent was unknowingly born with the disease, with it only later being revealed following her adoption. She began HIV/AIDS activism at the age of 12 while appearing on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Maury Povich Show, Good Morning America and others.
She appeared at the 1996 Republican convention at age 12 and declared, “I am the future, and I have AIDS.”
Essence reports:
Her fearlessness, representation, and bravery when it came to being visible with the disease inspired others with the illness, including Magic Johnson, who is HIV-positive as well. On the Nickelodeon AIDS special about 20-plus years ago, she allowed herself to be vulnerable with the basketball legend, “I want people to know,” Hydeia said, sniffling, “that we’re just normal people.” “Aww, you don’t have to cry,” Johnson replied, “because we are normal people. OK? We are.” That moment proved to America’s youth that the disease could affect anyone.
Her origin story was not an easy one. In 1984, at birth, Broadbent was abandoned at the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas, and doctors believed that she wouldn’t live past the age of five, given that she was born HIV-positive and addicted to crack. Adopted at six weeks old by her adoptive parents, Loren and Patricia Broadbent, they found out three years later that she had HIV. Although her HIV condition was congenital, she was not diagnosed as HIV-positive with advancement to AIDS until age three.
Broadbent reportedly needed to take three antiviral pills a day. Her medication was self-paid, according to Essence.
