Twins Born To Mother With HIV To Accept Award From AIDS Fund
By Cherri Gregg
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - The AidsFund will honor teenage twins born at their 15th annual Black-Tie GayBINGO fundraiser later this week. The pair was born to an HIV-positive mother and spent their life volunteering for the cause.
"I've been here since I was three and I've never paid it any mind," says Kevin Diggs, 17.
He and twin sister Keisha, 17, have spent the past 14 years volunteering for the AIDS Fund, first at AIDSWalk Philly and later at the group's monthly GayBingo events.
"I always help my mom with packing stuff and setting up stuff for different events they host," says Keisha, who notes she's the oldest by 27 minutes.
Mother Terrie Hawkins, says she was diagnosed with HIV the same day she discovered she was having twins.
"Everything you could possibly not want to happen was happening," says Hawkins, who has worked for the AIDS Fund since 2000, "but I was determined that if I was able to survive that diagnosis, Kevin and Keisha would be educated about HIV and AIDS."
Fast forward and you could learn a lesson from the twins about tolerance, understanding and how to prevent HIV and AIDS.
"Wear a condom," says Kevin, when asked what advice he'd give to the world about prevention.
"It doesn't matter if you're gay or straight," says Keisha, "I want to be around diversity. I don't want to discriminate or nothing, so I just stay here and make people happy."
The twins will be the youngest honorees to receive the AIDS Fund' Ferrara Family Volunteer Award, which will be given on April 5th at the group's Black-Tie GayBINGO event at the Crystal Tearoom. And just the thought makes Hawkins smile from ear to ear.
"I'm going to be so beside myself," Hawkins said when asked what will be going through her mind when Kevin and Keisha accept their awards. "I'm so happy, just extremely happy."
Other honorees include Ronda B. Goldfein,Esq., who will receive The 2014 Favorite Straight Person of the Year award. For more on the AIDS Fund or Black-Tie GayBINGO, go to www.aidsfundphilly.org.
