sister, who died as a result of AIDS at age 35. It is printed with the kind permission of her family.

*** "It's not easy living as I do in this Island, around people who just don't understand. I have known for over a year now that I have the AIDS virus. And also as a young mother, it's very hard because I don't want my children to know yet, only because I don't want society to put them in a group away from others.

I listen to talk around me and some of it comes from my friends (who don't know about me) and they just don't understand.

I myself am one of those innocent people who just happened to get involved with another innocent person.

I don't do drugs and I don't go around sleeping with dozens of different men.

It was just one night of the rest of my life. I would just like to say to those who don't ever think it's gonna happen to them, this disease is going to hit a lot of doorsteps in this little Island until everybody learns those words: SAFE SEX and SAY NO TO DRUGS.

Just my family and a few very close friends know about me and it hurts to listen to others around me say how they "don't want to sit in that chair'' because the person who just sat there has AIDS, or they don't speak to them -- even when they used to be their friend at one point in life.

People, keep your personal feelings about this sad subject to yourselves PLEASE, because we don't want to always be reminded that we are not going to be around to see grandchildren like you will.''