{"id":1511,"date":"2011-05-17T11:35:15","date_gmt":"2011-05-17T15:35:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/on_the_front_lines_of_the_culture_wars\/?p=1511"},"modified":"2011-05-17T20:56:14","modified_gmt":"2011-05-18T00:56:14","slug":"19-year-old-missouri-boy-is-a-walking-singing-miracle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/on_the_front_lines_of_the_culture_wars\/2011\/05\/19-year-old-missouri-boy-is-a-walking-singing-miracle.html","title":{"rendered":"19-year-old Missouri boy is a living miracle"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Brryan and girlfriend Brandi review a conference program before his turn to speak <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Nineteen-year-old college student Brryan Jackson is a living miracle.<\/p>\n

When he was an infant, his divorced father \u2013 a blood transfusionist at a local hospital \u2013 intentionally injected him with AIDS-infected blood, intending to kill him and dodge having to pay child support.<\/p>\n

Instead,\u00a0Brryan defied the odds. He lived. Doctors say tests have shown no trace of the virus in his body for two years. Listening to him speak at youth conferences or as he plays his guitar, it’s hard to believe that he lost his hearing when he was seven years old \u2013 due to the massive amount of prescription drugs that were keeping him alive.<\/p>\n

“Just because I can’t hear does not mean I don’t have a voice,” Jackson said. “God has blessed me to have such a strong voice, to have a story.”<\/p>\n

And what a story he has. Nobody knew that his father had attempted to kill him at age 11 months. Instead, he seemed to be a normal little boy. But then, as the five-year-old was about to go off to kindergarten, he became mysteriously ill.<\/p>\n

“I went from being a playful, happy, energetic five-year-old to this bloated, feverish sick kid,” Brryan remembers.<\/p>\n

Doctors discovered the cause. His father confessed.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Brryan's mom helps him get ready for a public appearance<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When Judge Ellsworth Cundiff sentenced him to life in prison,\u00a0the judge\u00a0said Brryan\u2019s dad belonged in the same category as \u201cthe worst war criminal\u201d and added: \u201cI believe when God finally calls you, you are going to burn in hell from here to eternity.\u201d<\/p>\n

His father got a life sentence, but Brryan received a death sentence.<\/p>\n

Yet, he did not die. He has fought long and hard. Even so, growing up with the disease has not been easy. Brryan was shunned \u2013 the AIDS boy. He was not allowed to use school water fountains. He was restricted to a single restroom. Parents were afraid of letting their children be around him. He wasn\u2019t included in birthday parties, Scouts or Little League baseball.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s forgiven his father \u2013 although he legally changed the spelling of his first name to make it different from his dad\u2019s. And Brryan has a girlfriend. He says Brandi gives him the strength to fight the disease: \u201cIt\u2019s pretty remarkable, I went from full blown aids, on my death bed, given five months to live, and here I am 19 years old, living on 15 years of borrowed time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now he only takes three pills daily and visits the doctor every three months.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Brryan Jackson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Doctors say his recovery is nothing short of a miracle \u2013 no AIDS virus has been undetectable in Brryan\u2019s blood for two straight years now.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy muscles are actually building, they aren\u2019t breaking down,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Such experiences have prompted Brryan to spread awareness about the disease.\u00a0He founded a non-profit, Hope Is Vital \u2013 H.I.V. He spends every summer at Camp Kindle, a program that sponsors summer camps throughout the nation for HIV-positive children.<\/p>\n

He mentors other HIV-positive kids.<\/p>\n

And he shares his story with anyone who will listen.<\/p>\n

“You can either look at the blessings that come from life, you know, look at all the problems as opportunities for blessings or you can just ignore them and let them run you and let them control your life,\u201d he says. \u201cI just decided, I want to put an end to this, I want to make a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here is a short video that tells some of\u00a0his story:<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=o41ITLxyO44&feature=player_embedded#at=91<\/a>\n

And here is another video in which Brryan relates the experience in his own words:<\/p>\n