Happy Holidays from The Dannemillers
Lakeland, Florida

As positive parents, the holidays are about making it through another year as a family. Tim and I try not to cater to our only positive child, Lesley, so everyone asks for three presents for Xmas. The kids also receive an ornament—our tree is packed with them, including many we’ve picked up while traveling the country educating people about HIV. And since the holidays are about building traditions, we bake a cake, decorate the house with streamers and sing “Happy Birthday” to Jesus.


Happy Hanukkah from The Brosky’s
Atlantic Beach, New York

The holidays are a great time for our family to celebrate my second and third lives: After being diagnosed with HIV four years ago and brain cancer two years ago, my doctors gave me two to four years to live. But right now, I’m healthy enough to run marathons. During Hanukkah, family and friends come over for a big dinner. We serve roast chicken, potato latkes, matzo ball soup and noodle pudding. The latkes are my favorite—with HIV, I have to eat more than before or I’ll lose weight. Luckily, my wife’s a good cook!


Season’s Greetings from The Lofton-Croteaus
Portland, Oregon

Roger and I have been celebrating Christmas with the kids for 16 years. We’re HIV negative, gay foster parents to five great kids—all are positive except Bert. On Christmas morning, Bert or Wayne wake us up early. Opening gifts can last a long time, so we stop midway to take our meds. Although Roger and I aren’t positive, we take our vitamins, cholesterol and blood-pressure pills when the kids take their HIV meds. And we all wash ’em down with eggnog and a muffin.