Tainted Trust .com
I was born six weeks premature on April 24, 1982 at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. I am the only child of Ann Dubinet and John Ghaffari. My mother and father separated pretty much right after I was born. My father is an actor and moved to Spain to pursue his career. I was raised by my mother and have been close to her ever since. My mother provided a life for me that every child should get.
At birth I was born 6 weeks premature and because of this I had complications with my heart. I was rushed into surgery where I needed to be operated on. I was such a tiny baby, weighing less than 3 lbs, and had lost so much blood I needed to have a series of blood transfusions. One of the transfusions was contaminated with HIV. As a result, during my childhood I would have a series of complications. The doctors would tell my mother that the likeliness of me surviving the night would be very slim. Sure enough, I made it through the night. Every time the doctors say I wasn't going to make it, I made them eat their words.
At six months and healthy, my mother got a job working with a film company in London for a period of three years. I spent the first part of my life learning to speak with a British accent. During this time, my mother does not recall me having any health problems. My mother worked hard, she provided me with everything. A good home, clothes, food, what most parents do for their child growing up.
At the age of 4 we moved back to Los Angeles and I would start my education at Hancock Park Elementary School. Early in elementary school it was discovered that I had a learning disability. I would then be put into a "unique" class. It didn't take me away from my regular schooling, but I did have to spend a part of the day in this Resource group. Everyday at around noon the teacher would ask all the kids in the Resource group to get up and go. It felt like the 7 kids and myself that stood up might as well had been wearing dunce caps.
Because of my learning disability my mother felt that it was best for me to attend a school that catered to children like myself. I transferred to Landmark West School. I was still able to do all the things that High School kids do. I was able to participate in numerous sports, like being a part of the swim team and football team. My high school life was pretty normal, until I was sixteen.
One morning at the age of 16, while eating breakfast, I openly blurted out the ultimate question to my mother. Do I have AIDS? To this day, I have no idea what made me ask that. I would have to say it was an impulse that shot into my brain and I said it out loud. My mother, with a shocked look on her face, said yes. My heart dropped. I lost my breath. My mother told me about the events that transpired to this day with my survival. She kept telling me that I was completely healthy. I began to cry. She asked why I was crying. Not a lot of words came out of my mouth that morning. I was in complete shock. I have HIV and I'm only 16. My mother was the one that was comforting me. Mid afternoon of that same day I went back to my school. I tried to think of it as though nothing had happened. The day went by as a blur. That next day I would go to Cedars to see my pediatrician. They explained to me that my t-cell count was over 500 and my viral load was very low. For those of you who don't know, those are very good signs. It means that during my teenage years the virus was undetectable. My doctor also informed me that somehow my HIV virus had genetically altered to my body, meaning that at this point, my body was accepting the virus and was not weakening my health. To this day I am doing great.
After graduating from High School I went to college. I started at the College of Santa Fe, which was an art school in New Mexico. I was there for two years and felt that it wasn't the place for me. I then transferred to San Francisco State where I received my Bachelors degree in Public Speaking.
During my last year of college I came into contact with a man named Bruce Kasper. Just like myself, his daughter was given a tainted blood transfusion after birth at Cedars Sinai Medical Center. Unfortunately, his daughter passed away in 1992. Because of Bruce and his fight, I have become aware of the injustice that has happened to all and I have decided to pursue this problem.