Celebrity
Youngest HIV Patient & Activist, Hydeia Broadbent Passes Away At Age 39 (DETAILS)
Hydeia Broadbent, a prominent AIDS activist, has passed away. She was 39.
Her passing was confirmed by her father, Loren Broadbent, in a post on Facebook.
“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,” his post read. “Despite facing numerous challenges throughout her life, Hydeia remained determined to spread hope and positivity through education around Hiv/AIDS.
Launching her career as an AIDS activist at six years old, she told her story on numerous national television programs, including “A Conversation with Magic Johnson” on Nickelodeon, “Oprah,” “20/20,” and “Good Morning America.”She also appeared in New York Times, People, Teen People, Essence, Ebony and Sister 2 Sister.
In 2002, her family published a book entitled “You Get Past The Tears,” she appeared with her family on “Extreme Home Makeover” in 2004.
Until her passing, she was an international motivational speaker and committed AIDS activist which was her life’s mission.
Broadbent was born in 1984 with undiagnosed HIV, She was initially taken in as a foster child by Loren and Patricia Broadbent who later adopted her. In 1987, the Broadbents learned that Hydeia was HIV positive.
Not much has been known about Hydeia as her birth mother abandoned her at a Las Vegas hospital. Three years later, Hydeia’s birth mother gave birth at the same hospital to another child and left him there as well. As HIV testing was required at the time, both mother and child were tested, and the results were positive for HIV. The hospital informed the Broadbents and they had Hydeia tested for HIV shortly afterwards. Her results were also positive for HIV.
It was predicted that she would not survive childhood, and would die at the age of 5. Despite all predictions, she survived. However, when she was five, she developed AIDS.
