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Alone in a Crowd of Others: One Man's Journey with AIDS (Part 2)

Jim Konetsky, living with AIDS, has devoted his life to serving the AIDS community even before he knew his own disease status. This is part 2 of Jim's story. Read part 1 here.

Jim's days are spent working directly with the people of the AIDS community, helping them to navigate complicated insurance issues, speaking with legislators and simply giving some of his clients an ear when they need to talk. "Most of the time, they really just want to talk to somebody," said Jim. "We sense sometimes they're lonely people."

Loneliness, too, plagues Jim. While he spends his days around people who know about his disease and has a loving support network of close friends and family, he still feels uncomfortable and afraid of opening up around strangers. "I feel lonely in a group of people," he said, "I feel my ability to get myself involved with someone has been compromised by this."

Jim thinks that the loneliness is one of the worst parts of an AIDS diagnosis and affects everyone with the disease. "I'm here way beyond where my friends have survived," he said. And even though we know much more about AIDS and HIV than ever before, the reality for Jim is, "I have something that I can't get rid of. It doesn't change."

But, in a way, that's how working with God's Love We Deliver has helped Jim.

"It takes away some of the isolation," he said, "Before, I wasn't aware of how many people have so many concerns similar to and even greater than my own."

As much as Jim helps his clients, they help him, too. "I've seen how other people cope and handle things," he said, "And interacting with a client and helping them is very satisfying."

Full Circle
Jim has been able to witness first hand the impact AIDS has made on the world. He is glad that more and more people are opening up about the disease, but fears that ignorance still reigns. "I know it's a tired line, but people still think that people with AIDS did something to deserve it."

But, he advises, that "making it a moral issue doesn't help a person who's already got it. And I'd want to tell [these people] to open their eyes, open their heart and look at personal stories of people with the disease."

And while Jim wakes up every day knowing he has a life-threatening disease, he also knows that there are many others who still have it much worse. "I have access to all the right kind of care if I need it and a wonderful doctor," he said. "So, I can't imagine what it must feel like for someone with HIV who's in a place where there's absolutely no opportunity to turn to anybody."

Even if he doesn't realize it, Jim, along with God's Love We Deliver, is that "somebody" for countless others.