JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – In the early days of the HIV and AIDS crisis, fear and uncertainty overshadowed hope.
Between 1980 and 1995, the epidemic claimed the lives of more than 300,000 Americans. For many, a diagnosis felt like a death sentence.
But some survived.
Ernie Lightfoot Jr. and Justin Bell are living proof of how far HIV treatment has come—and how far society still has to go.
“It was just death all around at that time,” said Lightfoot, who tested positive for HIV in March 1990 and was later diagnosed with AIDS in 1994.
Fresh out of the Navy and building a life in Houston, Lightfoot never imagined he’d be facing a life-threatening illness in his early 30s. He wasn’t alone—many of his friends died young.
“Most people I lost to AIDS were probably in their 30s,” he said. “There was all this loss, and I was thinking, ‘I should get tested.’”
Back then, HIV testing was anonymous and impersonal—just a number on a piece of paper. When Lightfoot’s result came back positive, his world fell apart.
“My whole life crashed in front of my eyes,” he said. “Because after that, it’s very uncertain how long you have to live.”
A decade later, a different journey
Justin Bell’s diagnosis came in 2007, though the virus had been in his body for years, likely due to unsterilized medical equipment used during intestinal cancer surgery in 2001.
Bell showed no symptoms for years. But then came a morning when his partner found him cold and unresponsive. He was rushed to the hospital and diagnosed with PCP pneumonia, a common complication in patients with advanced AIDS.
“I remember thinking, ‘Please let me die before I count to 101 sheep,’” Bell said. “I got to 98.”
In a coma, unable to move or speak, Bell said he saw his late grandmother and uncle before unexpectedly waking up—an experience he calls spiritual, despite not being religious.
“For the first time in three months… I opened my eyes.”
Fighting back with medicine — and hope
Treatment in the 1990s was grueling. Lightfoot began taking AZT, the first drug approved for HIV.
The side effects were severe.
“To go to work and feel nauseous all day long... AZT was a monster,” he said.
Eventually, Lightfoot lost his vision due to meningitis, and his HIV progressed to AIDS. After losing his job and insurance, he moved back to Florida, where he qualified for Medicaid, and received a new drug that changed his life.
“Florida Medicaid saved my life,” he said. “My T cell count started going up… from two, to 20, to 80, to 180. I went from thinking I wasn’t going to make it, to ‘Oh wow, I’m going to make it.’”
Bell, too, began treatment—first with older drugs, now with modern options that include daily pills or long-acting injections every few months.
“Modern medicine has helped me,” he said. “That was the key that was missing for me in 2001.”
The fight isn’t over
Despite medical progress, both men say the stigma surrounding HIV remains.
Lightfoot’s doctor told him he still sees new cases of full-blown AIDS, even in 2025.
“How is that possible?” Lightfoot asked. “HIV and AIDS are a people issue. Not a demographic issue.”
Bell added that during Pride Month, while the LGBTQ+ community celebrates progress, some key voices have gone quiet.
“Jacksonville still has a long way to go to get to zero,” he said. “The religious community that was once there has now abandoned the messaging.”
June 27 is National HIV Testing Day, a day to encourage people to get tested for HIV, know their status, and get linked to care and treatment.
