In honor of World AIDS Day on Monday, Ryan Lewis, a Grammy Award-winning producer, penned a heartfelt post about his mother, Julie Lewis, who is HIV-positive.
MTV News reported that Macklemore's musical half took to Instagram on Monday to share the importance of supporting World AIDS Day and explain why the date held significant meaning to him.
In April, Lewis revealed his mother was diagnosed with HIV after receiving a blood transfusion that carried the virus in 1984.
"When my mom was diagnosed with HIV, doctors only gave her a few years to live," he wrote. "I was 6 years old. 30 years later she is still alive. She's alive because she's strong and has always been a fighter. And she's alive because she had access to medicine and care that can manage her disease. She's been lucky."
"Today, on World AIDS Day, we remember the 39 million people who have died from AIDS since the disease was first recognized in the early 1980's. And for the 35 million people still living with HIV or AIDS, we continue to work for better access to the medicine and treatment that too many go without."
The mother and son teamed up in April in order to launch the 30/30 Project, a campaign to help raise funds to build a HIV/AIDS treatment centers globally.
In the post, Lewis revealed that five clinics have been built, including a one set to open in Neno, Malawi in two week. The clinic will serve a community where "1 in 10 people is living with HIV."
"That's why we started the 30/30 Project," he continued. "Based on the principle that health care is a human right, our goal is to build 30 health centers worldwide that will last at least 30 years. Working with Construction for Change, and partnering with international organizations like Partners in Health, we are building facilities to deliver critical medical care where it's needed most."
Lewis concluded his post by thanking his fans for their support and added that he looked "to an even better year in 2015."
