Growing Up with HIV: Kim Canady’s Journey from Loss to Advocacy

In 1996, when Kim Canady was just nine years old, her life changed forever—she lost both of her parents within the same year. At the time, she had no idea that their deaths were related to HIV complications, or that she herself had been living with HIV since birth. What stood out to her, even then, was that she was the only child in her friend group who had to visit a doctor every month.

Not long after her parents passed, Kim discovered that she was a “dandelion”—a term used to describe individuals born with HIV or who acquire it at a very young age. During that era, HIV was heavily stigmatized and largely misunderstood, making it especially difficult for a child to grasp what living with the virus really meant.

“I was on HIV medications as a kid and dealing with various health issues, but nobody wanted to explain why,” Kim recalls.

Today, Kim uses her personal journey to support others, working as a public health consultant, sexuality educator, and HIV advocate. However, she emphasizes that her primary focus is on raising her son and growing her business.

“As dandelions, we represent what it means to age with HIV,” she explains. “But I no longer let the virus define me. Advocacy is something I do when I have the time—my main roles are being a mom, a wife, and a woman prioritizing her own life.”