After Losing Mom to AIDS, Student Seeks to Help Others

AIDS kills more than 18,000 people every year in the U.S., and Georgia is among the states with the highest number of AIDS cases.

Thousands of Georgia children are affected by HIV/AIDS, but thanks to one special summer camp, these kids can forget the disease for a time. A young man who was a camper and is now a counselor there is seeking to give Savannah kids the chance to experience it.

Sergio Crayton lost his mother to AIDS when he was just 10 years old.

"It is a painful process to watch because it takes a toll on your body. In the digression of life, you begin to develop dementia," he said.

That intense personal connection is why the Savannah State University senior works hard to spread the word about HIV prevention and testing.

"My mom contracted the HIV virus when I was very young. So I didn't know anything about it until she began to get sick," he said.

After his mother died, Crayton, 25, and his younger sister started attending Camp High 5. It's a summer camp for kids both infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. Both are now volunteer counselors for the week-long camp.

"They get to live 'normal lives'. They don't worry about the disease they have. They don't worry about who knows their status. They don't worry about being ridiculed for being HIV positive, for their parents being HIV positive."

The camp is run by H.E.R.O. for Children, a nonprofit that helps youths affected by the disease. They're now raising money to send kids from Savannah to camp high five.

"It can be extremely lonely, because it's something that you're dealing with every day and you can't communicate about it or you're afraid to communicate about it," said Crayton.

It's a cause that Crayton holds dear to his heart as he remembers his beloved mother.

"When she passed away, it was the devastation of my life, so I really took all this in me to learn more about the virus, educate people about the virus," he said.

Camp High 5 is held each June. The camp is free for the kids, but it costs about $1,000 per child.

A fundraising dinner, called "A Night for HEROs," is set for Thursday, Oct. 20, at 6:30 p.m. at the Charles Morris Center on East Broad Street.

Former UGA quarterback David Greene is the special guest. News 3's Tuquyen Mach is the emcee.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!