A St. Louis man whose father purposely injected HIV-infected blood into him when he was a baby has beaten the odds and kept high spirits despite having developing AIDS as a child.
Brryan Jackson's story made national headlines in 1992 when reports reveal his father, a hospital technician, injected him with HIV to kill him and avoid paying child support. According to KTVI, once Jackson, 22, was diagnosed with HIV at 11 months old, he was given five months to live.
"Anyone in my condition would die in three months they gave me five," Jackson said.
HIV is short for Human Immunodeficiency Virus, where the virus basically destroys your immune system over time, but modern medicine advanced enough to where many can live a normal life expectancy, according to the Center of Diseases Control and Prevention.
Jackson is "amazed" by his health and keeps positive because of his strong Christian faith. He told KTVI he has forgiven his father and even prays for his "salvation."
"I think there is salvation for everyone, and I find myself praying for my father's salvation," he said.
Jackson developed AIDS when he was 5 years old. Jackson lost 70 percent of his hearing because of side effects from many medications, but is healthier than ever.
AIDS is short for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, which is the final stage of HIV where your body's immune system is so badly damaged it has trouble fighting off infectious diseases, according to the CDC.
"I went from 23 pills to just one pill a day and now I'm undetectable, my T-cell count has been up, giving me zero per cent chance of passing on the virus," Brryan told KTVI.
Still, Jackson struggled as a kid because of "misinformation" about the disease. At one point he became suicidal.
"I had three knives in front of me but I realized there is hope, and it's not about what you have it's what you can give," he said.
However, Jackson now uses his story to inspire other kids and raise awareness about HIV/AIDS. The Nickelodeon channel honored him with its Halo award for his community service.
Check out more about Jackson's story in the video below.
