The death of Hydeia Broadbent ends an era in the fight against HIV/AIDS and leaves a huge hole in the world of action and support. Being part of the “first generation of children born HIV positive” in the United States in the late 1980s was hard, but Broadbent’s life became an example of strength, courage, and a never-ending dedication to spreading information about what it’s really like to live with the virus.
Through personal challenges and victories, her journey catapulted her into the public eye as a well-known HIV/AIDS activist, winning the hearts and minds of many people around the world. As word spreads that she died at age 39, her memory will serve as a source of hope and inspiration for many years to come.
Activist Hydeia Broadbent Cause Of Death
According to the news, Hydeia Broadbent was part of America’s “first generation of children born HIV positive” in the late 1980s. She was a well-known HIV/AIDS activist. She was 39 years old.
Loren Broadbent, her father, wrote on Facebook early Wednesday morning that she had died. The cause of death was not stated by him.
“With great sadness, I must inform you all that our beloved friend, mentor, and daughter Hydeia, passed away today after living with Aids since birth,” he wrote. “Despite facing numerous challenges throughout her life, Hydeia remained determined to spread hope and positivity through education around HIV/AIDS.”
You can see the Facebook post below:
Broadbent was left at the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas as a baby. She was later taken in by Loren and Patricia Broadbent. It was thought that Broadbent had HIV from birth, but she wasn’t told she had it until she was 3.
Broadbent first went with her social worker mother when she started talking about HIV in public and trying to diminish the shame that people had about it, especially for the sake of kids who had been diagnosed with it. By age 6, the kid in elementary school could also talk and finally took charge.
Broadbent was a well-known figure in the fight against HIV/AIDS before there were medicines that could make life with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, a more manageable long-term illness.
“You Get Past the Tears: A Memoir of Love and Survival,” a book she wrote with her mother in 2002, is about their life as a family.
Broadbent kept working to promote HIV knowledge and education, especially in Black communities, by making sure that people knew about HIV, worked to reduce stigma, practiced safe sex or abstinence, and got tested regularly.
Broadbent has been honored by Essence, The Grio, Ebony, the American Red Cross, and other groups over the years. She has also been on TV shows and events. BET News says that Broadbent has worked with the Magic Johnson Foundation for ten years to date.
When Broadbent turned 34 in 2018, she made a blog post on her website celebrating the event. She said that she was part of “the first generation of children born HIV positive,” and her adoptive parents were told she would not live past 5.
Learn about the reasons behind the passing of some well-known figures:
- Jim Mordecai Cause Of Death: What Was In His Possession When He Died?
- Emily Matson Cause of Death: Erie’s News Community Grieves the Loss of a Shining Light!
You can read more about other people’s deaths, such as autopsy reports, causes of death, and other stories, on our website, readablevibes.com.