Jimmy Mack - Thriving and Helping

We were connected to Jimmy, thanks to Love Heals, the Alison Gertz Foundation for AIDS Education. Jimmy is a active speaker who is HIV+ and has also personally battled addiction and alcoholism and here is his story:

Bambi Weavil: When/how did you find out you had AIDS?

Jimmy Mack: On Valentines Day of 1987, my partner at the time, Jeff, said to me that his Valentine present to me was to go get tested. I thought it sweet and although in a high risk group and living in Manhattan at the time, I didn't think I could possibly be HIV+. I had never been to a bath house and had been in steady relationships since coming out in 1979. Those days it took 2 weeks to get results, so we went back the first week of March. My thoughts were of the big 30th birthday party I was planning on at my parents' house in Westhampton Beach and on being a Mermaid on my brothers float in the Saint Patrick's Day Parade that same weekend. Jeff got his results first and was negative, so I full expected the same results and was completely shocked when the nurse said I was HIV+. I think I almost fainted as I heard her say: "Honey, try not to think of it as a death sentence, you probably have a year to a year and a half before you get sick and..." She kindly left off the word DIE! I met Jeff outside the clinic with tears in my eyes and told him the news. I also told him I needed some cocaine and some vodka because I couldn't deal with it right then. And so began my descent into my other deadly disease: alcoholism/addiction.

BW: How did you become involved with Love Heals?

JM: I don't remember how I got involved in LOVE HEALS but I do remember meeting Alison Gertz. It was the summer of 1992 and I was in the throws of my alcoholism when my dear friend Edward Urbanelli told me all about her and how she was speaking to students in High Schools and Colleges about AIDS. She was dying at her parents home on Dune Road in Westhampton Beach, right down the road from my parents when he took me to meet her. Afterwards all he said was "Look what she did with the knowledge of her disease and look what your doing with yours, you're nothing but a drunk!" she died that summer of AIDS and I got sober in October and have been sober ever since.

BW: What is a rewarding experience you can tell us about since being involved with Love Heals?

JM: I went to a high school on Long Island that I had never spoken at, although I had spoken at the middle school several times. Our contact was a young man who had started an HIV/AIDS Education Student group. When I asked him why he started the group, he said he had heard Diana Emmett and I speak at his Middle School and never forgot it! I just wish Diana had been with me to hear that but she had recently died of AIDS!

BW: What is the biggest misconception you feel is in the portrayal of people with AIDS?

JM: The biggest misconception of people with AIDS is that they are handicapped. I work a full time job, volunteer as an EMT, speak for LOVE HEALS and have a live in lover who is 20 years my junior and HIV-! I recently bought my first home in Southampton and plan to live a long and productive life!

BW: What are some non-profits that you support?

JM: Aside from LOVE HEALS and SOUTHAMPTON VOLUNTEER AMBULANCE, I have been involved with GMHC, God's Love We Deliver and Miracle House. I'm still involved with the Miracle House Hamptons Benefit and remain close to the people there as they really helped me in 2002 when my former partner Orlando was dying of AIDS by providing an apartment for his family when they came to visit from Puerto Rico just before he died. I also still do service in AA as well as provide financial support to most of the HIV/AIDS and GLBT Charities. Immigration Equality is a favorite cause as my current partner is French and since we cannot marry, he cannot live here legally.

BW: How do you want to remembered?

JM: How do I want to be remembered? As a survivor who thrived and did what he could to make this a better world by helping those sick and suffering with AIDS, alcoholism or addiction. I hope to be remembered as a good son, brother, uncle, co-worker, friend and partner. MY life is so busy with work and volunteering that I often feel I don't spend enough time with family, friends and especially my partner and that I hope to change.




	Jimmy Mack - Thriving and Helping We were connected to Jimmy, thanks to Love Heals, the Alison Gertz Foundation for AIDS Education. Jimmy is a active speaker who is HIV+ and has also personally battled addiction and alcoholism and here is his story: Bambi Weavil: When/how did you find out you had AIDS? Jimmy Mack: On Valentines Day of 1987, my partner at the time, Jeff, said to me that his Valentine present to me was to go get tested. I thought it sweet and although in a high risk group and living in Manhattan at the time, I didn't think I could possibly be HIV+. I had never been to a bath house and had been in steady relationships since coming out in 1979. Those days it took 2 weeks to get results, so we went back the first week of March. My thoughts were of the big 30th birthday party I was planning on at my parents' house in Westhampton Beach and on being a Mermaid on my brothers float in the Saint Patrick's Day Parade that same weekend. Jeff got his results first and was negative, so I full expected the same results and was completely shocked when the nurse said I was HIV+. I think I almost fainted as I heard her say: "Honey, try not to think of it as a death sentence, you probably have a year to a year and a half before you get sick and..." She kindly left off the word DIE! I met Jeff outside the clinic with tears in my eyes and told him the news. I also told him I needed some cocaine and some vodka because I couldn't deal with it right then. And so began my descent into my other deadly disease: alcoholism/addiction. BW: How did you become involved with Love Heals? JM: I don't remember how I got involved in LOVE HEALS but I do remember meeting Alison Gertz. It was the summer of 1992 and I was in the throws of my alcoholism when my dear friend Edward Urbanelli told me all about her and how she was speaking to students in High Schools and Colleges about AIDS. She was dying at her parents home on Dune Road in Westhampton Beach, right down the road from my parents when he took me to meet her. Afterwards all he said was "Look what she did with the knowledge of her disease and look what your doing with yours, you're nothing but a drunk!" she died that summer of AIDS and I got sober in October and have been sober ever since. BW: What is a rewarding experience you can tell us about since being involved with Love Heals? JM: I went to a high school on Long Island that I had never spoken at, although I had spoken at the middle school several times. Our contact was a young man who had started an HIV/AIDS Education Student group. When I asked him why he started the group, he said he had heard Diana Emmett and I speak at his Middle School and never forgot it! I just wish Diana had been with me to hear that but she had recently died of AIDS! BW: What is the biggest misconception you feel is in the portrayal of people with AIDS? JM: The biggest misconception of people with AIDS is that they are handicapped. I work a full time job, volunteer as an EMT, speak for LOVE HEALS and have a live in lover who is 20 years my junior and HIV-! I recently bought my first home in Southampton and plan to live a long and productive life! BW: What are some non-profits that you support? JM: Aside from LOVE HEALS and SOUTHAMPTON VOLUNTEER AMBULANCE, I have been involved with GMHC, God's Love We Deliver and Miracle House. I'm still involved with the Miracle House Hamptons Benefit and remain close to the people there as they really helped me in 2002 when my former partner Orlando was dying of AIDS by providing an apartment for his family when they came to visit from Puerto Rico just before he died. I also still do service in AA as well as provide financial support to most of the HIV/AIDS and GLBT Charities. Immigration Equality is a favorite cause as my current partner is French and since we cannot marry, he cannot live here legally. BW: How do you want to remembered? JM: How do I want to be remembered? As a survivor who thrived and did what he could to make this a better world by helping those sick and suffering with AIDS, alcoholism or addiction. I hope to be remembered as a good son, brother, uncle, co-worker, friend and partner. MY life is so busy with work and volunteering that I often feel I don't spend enough time with family, friends and especially my partner and that I hope to change.			Meet Dillon, our special friend affected by HIV Ashley Judd, Global Ambassador for YouthAIDS YouthAIDS Global Ambassador, Ashley Judd's Asia Diary * Every day, 14,000 people contract HIV * 40.3 million people now live with HIV * AIDS kills one child every minute Featured Performer Raising Awareness for AIDS: Annie Lennox The Concept Behind "Sing": More Videos Please purchase "Sing" by clicking here Annie's Call to Action: More Videos Please purchase "Sing" by clicking here

	In Loving Memory - Some of Those We Lost to AIDS: Steven Bates, Bob Bendorff, Doug Boar, Joey Brunneti, Jay Burwick, Ray Coe, Keith Dodge, Doug Ermet, Gary Falardeau, Mark Fotopoulos, Jim Franks, Bill Graham, Jeffrey Grover, Jim Hankins, Frank Harper, Mike Hendricks, Frank Jackson, Jay Jackson, Pat London, Terence Maguire, John McLeod, Terry Peterson, Ron Pierson, Mark Pritchett, Steve Prokasky, John Richmond, Bill Robles, Steve Roher, Kenny Sasha, Jack Simmons, Randy Smith, Ted Smith, Jeffery Vogt...