Meet Hydeia Broadbent - International AIDS Activist

At birth, Hydeia Broadbent was abandoned at the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas where Patricia and Loren Broadbent adopted her as an infant. Although her HIV condition was congenital, she was not diagnosed as HIV-positive with advancement to AIDS until age three. The prognosis was that she would not live past the age of five and as a result became the “test baby” for HIV/AIDS medications, which are currently on the market today. Needless to say, this “test baby” has defied the odds by more than16 years, which is valid proof that HIV/AIDS is no longer a death sentence. Hydeia’s debut as an HIV/AIDS activist and public speaker began at the age of six during one of her many visits to the hospital. By age 12 she was appearing on national programs including Oprah, 20/20, Good Morning America and “A conversation with Magic Johnson”. Over the next 10 years Hydeia became a notable featured speaker and guest panelist at some of America’s most respected educational institutions: Duke University, Clark Atlanta University, UCLA, USC, and Howard University. Since1996, she has been featured in some of today’s most prominent publications and television programs that include but are not limited to: Essence Magazine, Ebony Magazine New York Times, POZ Magazine, Seventeen, Heart & Soul, Nickelodeon, MTV, and BET. To her credit, she has also been honored with an American Red Cross Spirit Award and a 1999 Essence Award.