Behind the news about infectious diseases, where numbers and statistics tend to fly about, there are many human stories that tell the struggles of individuals. The Friends of the Global Fund, Japan (FGFJ) and Asahi GLOBE+ is pleased to launch the “Infectious Diseases Without Borders–Our Story” interview series highlighting such personal stories. The first interview in the series is with Erika Castellanos, a transgender woman living with HIV who was supposed to take part in the torch relay for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Born in Belize, a small country in Central America, she has struggled to come to terms with her gender identity and then after being diagnosed with HIV, to fight for survival. Her story is a series of moments of survival and perseverance, to find a place where she could feel at peace and be accepted for who she is, and to eventually fulfill her dreams.
Continue reading on the FGFJ website.
To learn more about “Infectious Diseases Without Borders–Our Story,” please visit the series page.