A woman who once made Oprah Winfrey cry after revealing that she had suffered from AIDS since she was born has passed away at the age of 39.
Hydeia Broadbent rose to fame aged 11 after she told Winfrey how she was diagnosed with HIV.
She then went on to become an AIDS/HIV advocate and spent her life addressing the stigma surrounding the conditions.
On Wednesday, Hydeia’s father Loren Broadbent took to Facebook and announced the heartbreaking news of her passing.
Sharing a photo of her, he wrote: “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.
“Despite facing numerous challenges throughout her life, Hydeia remained determined to spread hope and positivity through education around HIV/AIDS.”
Kimberley R. McCoy, a family member, revealed that Hydeia was on life support and dialysis last year.
Broadbent was abandoned as a baby at the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas and was adopted by Patricia and Loren Broadbent.
At the age of 3, she was diagnosed as HIV-positive with advancement to AIDS. Doctors told her parents that she would only live until the age of 5.
She appeared on numerous TV programs, including Good Morning America, 20/20, and Oprah.
During her appearance on Oprah, she said that living with the disease was the most difficult part of her life.
“I had fungus in my brain, blood infections and pneumonia. I went cold blue a couple of times and that was when I was five,” she revealed.
“A lot of my friends have died of AIDS. Because I don’t have a choice. And I see so many people living recklessly. Just putting their lives on the line. At what point do we get it?
“You are not just dealing with HIV, AIDS. We have to address a person’s mental state because if I don’t feel good and I’m not happy and I don’t want to get out of bed, I’m not going to take these pills to save my life.”
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