We are deeply saddened to learn international motivational speaker and committed AIDS activist Hydeia Broadbent has passed away at 39. Her life's mission statement was to inform and create dialogue around HIV/AIDS in our homes, communities, educational institutions, and churches.
Hydeia was adopted after being abandoned in Nevada by a mother with substance use disorder. Shortly before she turned four, her parents discovered she had been living with HIV since birth and had developed AIDS. By age six, Broadbent was speaking publicly about the disease, telling her story on several national television programs, including "Oprah," "20/20," and "Good Morning America." She was also a featured guest on "A Conversation with Magic Johnson" on Nickelodeon in 1992. The program, aimed at young children, was a teaching moment for many and introduced them to AIDS without stigmatizing the disease. Hydeia spoke at the 1996 Republican National Convention, where she told the crowd, "I am the future, and I have AIDS." In 2002, her family published a book, "You Get Past the Tears," about the struggles she faced and her work in activism for the AIDS community.
Since 2014, Hydeia represented the Magic Johnson Foundation as well as other AIDS activist organizations to educate people about HIV/AIDS, promoting abstinence, safe-sex practices (for people who choose to have sex), and HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention.
We extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Hydeia Broadbent.