Renata, how would you describe yourself today?
I'll soon turn 70. Looking back at my journey, I mostly feel pride. I was told I might have a year left to live. Almost forty years later, I'm still here.

What were you like before the diagnosis?
I was a woman full of life. My motto was "olé, olé." I loved going out, laughing, enjoying life, moving forward. I had an optimistic character. I was someone who bounced back easily. HIV marked a rupture. There was a before and an after.

How did you learn the news?
It was 1987. I asked the doctor what could be done. He said he didn't know. It was the beginning of the epidemic. There were few answers and a lot of fear.

What situation were you in at the time?
I was four months pregnant. The question of keeping the child no longer arose. Death was at my door, and life was inside me. It was an extremely difficult time, because on top of my own fear, I was afraid of transmitting the virus to my child.

Were you supported?
Not really. My husband had addiction problems. I thought we would face this together, but I quickly realized I had to rely on myself. Around me there was almost no one. Back then, the kind of support that exists today didn't exist. I also came from a difficult family background. I was very close to my mother, who had already carried a lot in her life and who fell ill a few years later. I didn't want to burden her with my diagnosis on top of everything else. My relationship with my father was complicated, marked by a distance I felt for a long time. Very early on, I learned to manage on my own.

How did you hold on?
I think after a shock like that, there are two possibilities: let yourself fall, or decide to keep going. I chose to keep going. I had to work, pay the bills, prepare for my child's arrival.

How did you experience the early years with your daughter?
With a lot of anguish. For the first two years we had to do regular checks to find out whether she had contracted HIV. As long as we didn't know, the fear was constant. The day I was told she was HIV-negative was an immense relief.

How did you live through that period day to day?
I worked, took care of my daughter, and tried to keep standing. Financially it wasn't easy. Mentally either. But moving forward day after day saved me.

What helped you survive?
Discipline. Taking care of myself. I paid attention to my diet, my rhythm of life. And then there was my daughter. She gave me a reason to keep going.

How did you experience the arrival of treatments?
With hope. In the 1990s, the first medications arrived. They were harsh, sometimes hard to tolerate, but they represented a chance. For the first time, we could imagine a future.

When did you realize you were going to live?
It happened gradually. I set myself a goal: to reach 50, to be there for my daughter. Then the years passed. Then I thought about 60. And now I'm approaching 70. I've learned never to underestimate what time can offer.

How did HIV change you?
I lost a certain lightness. A woman once told me: you have sad eyes. It was true. But I also discovered a strength in myself I didn't know I had. I learned patience, perseverance, the value of sincere bonds. When you go through such trials, you see more clearly what really matters.

How do you look at your story today?
I tell myself I've had quite a journey. I've been through very hard things, but I'm still here.

Where are you today?
I want to live more for myself now. Traveling has helped me a lot. I discovered Thailand, Bali, Brazil… Here, at home, in this garden, I finally feel like I've arrived.

What message would you like to pass on to people living with HIV?
Believe in it. Today there are treatments, follow-up care, help. Things have changed. And never forget the strength you carry within you. You can go through very dark periods and still find light again. Don't give up on yourself.