Steve is a survivor. He has been living with AIDS for 20 years, one of the consequences of the drug addiction he has overcome. Much of Steve's days have been a struggle but he is making a better future for himself. Recovery from decades of drug use is part of his new life's routine. Since becoming clean he has completed his GED and is now attending the University of Massachusetts. He is an undergraduate attending classes with students much younger, but like him, are starting out in life for the first time.
Steve is moving on, but he will never escape from his past. He pursues his dreams while carrying the burden of his regret; the joy of starting new things is colored by a constant twinge of self-doubt; the feelings of health and vitality are the result of a daily ritual of medication and incessant medical visits. Everyday is enriched as he continues to bravely face these challenges. Steve is surviving everyday- living with his past.
Aaron McElroy Is a photographer living in Brooklyn, New York.
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Photos by Aaron McElroy.
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