“My uncle George Raftou (December 8, 1959 - January 5, 1999) was 39 years old when he was taken by AIDS. I will never forget that day as we said our goodbyes in disbelief and watched him taking his last breaths on his hospital bed.George kept his ill…
“My uncle George Raftou (December 8, 1959 - January 5, 1999) was 39 years old when he was taken by AIDS. I will never forget that day as we said our goodbyes in disbelief and watched him taking his last breaths on his hospital bed.George kept his illness as a secret from his family for 11 years. When he died, all his friends told us they knew. My family was embarrassed to reveal he had AIDS and instead told everyone he had cancer.One of the illnesses George went through, pneumonia was his final blow. My uncle lived his final years by defying his diagnosis which gave him 5 years to live. He partied hard and traveled. He lived in denial and did not take his medication.George was my favourite uncle, my father’s only brother and the soul of the family. He opened my eyes to a world I never knew existed and wish he was still here to share our life’s beautiful moments. This photograph was taken in 1994 at the Sleazeball Dance Party in Sydney with George, my sister Mary and me.I have read so many stories of people losing their uncles. I can now relate to others and can now say — I lost my uncle TOO.” — by Dianne Raftou
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