When Tiffany first came to House of Ruth in 2006, she was facing more struggles in life than most people can handle. Not only was she in a new place, but she was pregnant with her first child. On top of that, she had recently been diagnosed as HIV positive.
“It was a really hard time in my life,” she said. I felt alienated in so many ways. But when I found House of Ruth, they provided me with housing. They helped with diapers for my son when he was born. More than that, because of the assistance they gave me, I felt normal again.”
She remembers worrying about making it through the holidays with a new child. “It can be a very emotional and sometimes lonely time,’ she said. “But House of Ruth threw holiday parties and had events for all of us there, so we always had a place to go. We knew we had people we could be around, without being judged. That meant so much.”
When it came to Tiffany’s HIV diagnosis, House of Ruth helped her stay on track as well. “It would have been so easy to let my diagnosis take me down,” she said. “There were many times when I didn’t have the strength to call around to hospitals and doctors to get the care I needed. I would get so stressed. But House of Ruth jumped right in and took care of those situations. Especially when I really didn’t know what to do in terms of how to take care of my health, they really helped me focus.”
Eventually, Tiffany was able to go back to college and get a degree while still in the program. She also went on to have two more children, who like her first child, were all diagnosed as HIV negative, much to her great joy.
“So many things go through your mind when you first find out you’re HIV positive,” she said. “I remember thinking I’m not ever going to be a mom or have a husband or go to college. There was a long list of things I thought I wasn’t going to be able to do. I’m so happy to say I was wrong. My diagnosis was not the end of my world. It was just the beginning.”
So what would Tiffany tell others who may be going through a similar situation? “Get ready for the journey and trust the process. You can still have a long, healthy, and happy life.” As for what House of Ruth means to her, she said, “They’ve become like my family. They were such a blessing in my life and I love seeing them be a blessing in the lives of others too.”
