CHICAGO — In 1987, 21-year-old Carl Branch was on the phone with a nurse, discussing an upcoming surgical procedure, when she casually mentioned that Branch had tested positive for HIV.
He collapsed, fainted and woke up screaming, he said. He hadn't been told that he was HIV-positive.
"I had no idea," Branch said. "So not only did I have to come out as a gay man, I had to come out as HIV-positive on the same day — it was horrific. It was the worst day of my life."
Now, nearly 30 years later, Branch sits on the Board of Directors for the Test Positive Aware Network, or TPAN. He is married with a teenage son and credits the support network and his family with helping him get through the worst points in his life.
He said he's looking for a way to repay the support network for all the support it provided over the years by being a top donor for the annual 200-mile Ride for AIDS Chicago bike marathon.
He also plans to ride in it, even though he had to drop out after suffering an injury in the event last year.
"You can't keep a good man down," noted Branch.
The two-day ride takes place July 9-10.
Leading up to the ride, the support network is holding a fundraiser from 6-10 p.m. Friday at Big Chicks, 5024 N. Sheridan Road. A $20 suggested donation gets supporters two drink tickets and a raffle ticket, and will get the opportunity to learn more about how they can support Test Positive Awareness Network and Ride for Aids Chicago.
The HIV/AIDS organization "saved my life," Branch said.
Up until 1987, Branch said he had opened up about his sexual orientation to many friends but had told few family members.
But before finding out he had tested positive for HIV, a virus that weakens the body's ability to fight off infections over time, he said he began experiencing "wasting syndrome" — causing him to literally waste away to a measly 119 pounds. He was constantly fatigued.
His family thought he may have had cancer, he said, until that fateful pre-surgery phone call when he overheard the nurse.
By 1989, Branch's regular Morgan Park HIV support group had disbanded, and soon after he heard about an up-and-coming organization on the North Side — then known as Test Positive Aware.
The group provided Branch and other clients with education, social and emotional support, information on new therapy drugs and medical research, financial help and help regaining his physical strength.
Then, a few years ago, Branch's sister left her seat on the organization's board of directors and encouraged her brother to apply for the position.
Branch earned a spot on the board and largely credits the organization with getting him where he is today.
He sees his mission as helping others who are affected by HIV and AIDS, especially when it comes to breaking the stigma Branch said still very much exists in popular culture.
"I challenge people to really think about what they're saying, and how they're affecting other peoples' lives," he said. "When you discriminate against someone else, you're really discriminating against someone else because that person is connected to you whether you like it or not. We're one human species."
At the end of the day, Branch said his story reminds him of a sermon his reverend father would often give called, "Pain is inevitable, but misery is optional."
Surviving nearly three decades of HIV, two hip replacements and cancer, Branch said he'll "never give up" — and he doesn't want others to either.
"You're gonna have some really bad times, and some really wonderful times," he said. "During those bad times you can choose to be really bitter and angry at the universe, or you can say, 'This is temporary, this is gonna pass, what do I need to learn from this?'"
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