MASON CITY, IA - Darrell Lewis knows something about HIV.
"I've had HIV for 10 years," Lewis told a Mason City crowd on Monday night.
But it's not his own story the former North Iowan is telling; it's the story of those dying, because they can't afford to live with the disease.
"Just last week, I counseled a young man whose parents don't know that he's sick,” said Lewis. “He now has full blown AIDS, he can not get the drugs he needs, and there's a very good chance he will not live till next Christmas."
That's why Lewis is educating crowds across the state.
Back in 1990, congress enacted the “Ryan White Care Act.” It gives financial help to those who can't otherwise afford to deal with HIV and AIDS, but there's just one problem in Iowa…
"The program that provides the medications that a lot of people with HIV and AIDS need to just live, has run out of money," said Lewis
Lewis says it took a five percent cut at the state level last year, the standards for who qualifies were also raised, and Iowa, along with seven other states, now have waiting lists for the program.
"At a time, when the number of people needing the medications increased by 10%," added Lewis.
Now Lewis and other advocates are calling for change, because they say it's a crisis that could be life or death.
"Unless they take that action to put some state money into this program that normally has federal money, I think we will see people die in Iowa."
Lewis says if national health care doesn't pass, emergency legislation needs to be put into place.
He's encouraging folks to get better educated on the topic, and above all, get tested.
