Defying the odds: Man injected with HIV-positive blood by his father was given five months to live
Brryan Jackson almost didn't make it to 25-years-old, defying the odds after an act of malice was committed against him by his own father.
When he was just 11-months old, he was injected with HIV-positive blood by his father, Brian Stewart, which led to the development of an AIDS infection which was undiagnosed.
According to GQ, by age seven Brryan reportedly had no immune system, a swollen liver, chronic ear infections, fungus growing under his fingernails and fevers.
He was reportedly given just five months to live after his HIV diagnosis in 1996 and his mother was reportedly told to prepare for his funeral after the young boy flatlined twice in hospital.
But young Brryan defied the odds and now lives a relatively healthy life.
He told GQ he really wanted to be a father, however dating has been difficult for him after potential partner's families have intervened.
“I think I'd be a cool dad,” he said.
“But, well, the guy who thinks he's the cool dad is really the most embarrassing. I have a little bit of fear of that. I don't want my kids to think I'm an embarrassing dad.”
He is reportedly holding out hope for a family and the thought of children makes him happy.
"There's this thing called sperm washing,” he says.
“You won't pass on HIV.” he said.
Brryan is also legally hard of hearing which has impacted his speech development.
Despite this it hasn't stopped him founding his own HIV organisation, Hope Is Vital, to promote education about HIV.
Brryan's father was sentenced to life in jail in 1998, after he was convicted of first-degree assault.
It's claimed his mother left the hospital room to get a drink from the cafeteria on the day of the incident, leaving his father with her son for about 15 minutes.
When she returned her son was reportedly unsettled and crying.
"He had this tainted blood and he injected me with it," Brryan said in a previous interview.
His father was a phlebotomist, someone trained to draw blood, and it's claimed he did not want to pay child support.
"I don't know what he thinks or what he does, but since I've forgiven him, that's all I can do. Just live my life and show him what I'm made of,” he said.
“I don't really feel anything about him.
“I don't know the guy; I just know what he has done, and I feel like you have to be accountable for what you've done."
In 1998 Brryan's mother read out a message claimed to be from him in court which said: “I think he shouldn't ever be out of jail. He shouldn't have done this.”
He has never addressed a letter to his father in prison.
News Wrap – May 2
