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I felt it was time to talk about something that has really bothered me for a while. I have often wondered what runs though the minds of teenage girls. When I first seen the stats on teenagers when it comes to STDS/HIV/AIDS, I started to cry. Why? It was our future that is going down the drain. But before I let this happen, I will try and do anything to save the lives of our teenagers of today. One of my main concerns is the teenage girl. Teenage girls who is trying to stay a

Virgin, is coming down with sexually transmitted diseases, But how? They are having oral sex just to stay a virgin. When I first heard and was reading an article on teens between the ages of 13 - 19 years old, my heart just dropped. Not only did I cry, but also I sat and started thinking when I was a little girl playing with dolls, jump rope, and going to the mall, just having fun. But today is a whole new time, a different type of life style, and most of all sex. Yes we may have had to fight off was STDS in our lift time, but the 80's brought the world a new kind of STDS along with HIV/AIDS and Herpes. As time went on into the 90's there was one thing the doctors and CDC all forgot and that was the woman. I started watching these numbers with the out break started with the GAY Men, but yet everyone forgot about the women. Now that we have this out break, it is now spreading like wide fire to our teenagers of today. I want to point out to everyone reading this that this is not a joke and is for real. The numbers for our teenagers is getting higher and the spread of sexual transmitted disease is getting worse.

Youth At Risk - AIDS/HIV Statistics

· 50% of new infections in the U.S. are among people under the age of 25.

· Each year, over 20,000 people under 25 become HIV+ in the U.S.

· At least one American under the age of 20 becomes infected with HIV every hour of every day.

· 58% of all adolescent AIDS cases in the U.S. are young women.

· 70% of new U.S. adolescent AIDS cases are African-American, and 24% Latino; yet, these groups are only 13% and 15% respectively of U.S. adolescents.

· A recent study reported that as many as one third of young gay black men are HIV+.

· Almost half of young gay men admit to having had unprotected sex in the previous six months.

The unique thing about sickness is that each of us will one day come face to face with it on many levels, and how we allow ourselves to embrace it will make the difference in the severity of the experience. I was inspired by a great and unique soul who showed me what bravery looks like wrapped in the coat of faith. This is his individualized journey as he embraced the hand he was dealt. As he battled terminal illness, he taught me eternal lessons about what it is like to maintain steadfast strength in faith while in the fight for one's life. I felt so privileged to have the opportunity to share in his family's journey, and I am forever grateful to Sam for allowing me to share in his daily struggle as he welcomed each new morning and bade each day goodbye. As the phantom of the night came calling, he knew that he had the power to choose life, because his life was one of the hope and promises that signified his spirit. His daily walk represented a determination that said, "I refuse to give consent to the intruder to conquer me." Instead he let triumph be his song and claimed victory as he waited for the curtain of death to drop.

This was the life journey of one who maintained steadfast strength while dying with dignity. His unbending faith symbolized who Mr. Samuel Hewlett was--a beautiful human being who was able to die on his own terms with grace and poise beyond understanding, leaving a legacy of testimony that will forever call out to all who were touched by his life.