My Name is Bonnie
My name is Bonnie Cleverley, I am from St. Johnsbury, Vermont; I am 21. I lost my dad to AIDS when I was four. My mom also has AIDS, but she is doing great. I went to Camp Heartland when I was 14 and fell in love with the great big family that is camp. I become a Journey of Hope speaker for Camp Heartland, and when I was 15 I was part of the Journey of Hope HIV/AIDS Awareness tour, going from Denver CO to Los Angeles CA. I was then a LIT (Leader in Training) for Camp Heartland. For my Senior Project I raised $14,000 for HIV/AIDS Awareness, $10,000 went to Camp Heartland and $4,000 stayed in Vermont to help fund more HIV Education. I love going to Camp Heartland and helping them continue the great work they are doing for children infected and affected by HIV/AIDS.
"This is a poem I wrote for my dad when I was in 8th grade"
Why Did You Go?
I wonder why you left me
What went so wrong?
Why you died and only left me
With my favorite song.
I don’t know if you ever heard it
The song that’s in my heart
The one I wrote for you
I cry when it starts
You were fine for awhile
Sick for only days
I still wonder what happened
You just went away
I was so little
I didn’t understand
What happened to my daddy
When he let go of my hand?
Mom tried to explain
You were in a better place
But that didn’t explain
The tears on my face
I’ll remember you always
You live in my heart
I’ll never forget you
You’re not gone- just apart.
Lucas and Lee are two brothers infected with pediatric HIV/AIDS. Here they speak to dancers and supporters at Boston University’s Dance Marathon 2011.
