She’s Bermudian, a mother, an author, married and was in a heterosexual relationship when she was diagnosed with HIV in 1993.

Lady D, which is her pen name, is 43 and has been living with HIV for, what she believes, is over 20 years after her partner was not honest about his behaviour.

After receiving treatment from the Bermuda Health Department for shingles and boils on her legs the size of quarters, her doctor persuaded her to get tested.

She said: “I was not totally shocked. I had a sense there was something not right. I felt prepared.”

Though her family was initially upset, eventually they offered support.

When she told the pastor of her church, however, the reaction was disgust.

“I did disclose it to my pastor and it turned into a negative experience,” Lady D said. “There was a fear and for two years I sat in that church and the pastor would hurl insults.”

Such reactions and abuse from mere strangers led to her participation along with over 100 others in the STAR charity walk which took place on Sunday.

STAR, which stands for Supportive Therapy for AIDS Persons and their Relatives, runs sensitivity and awareness presentations throughout the Island in churches, schools and workplaces.

Organiser Alicia Tallack was excited about the $7,000 they managed to raise for Star’s education fund in the first Bermuda AIDS walk.

She said: “It was a sunny day and a lot of fun. Everything went really well. Who knows what ripple effect it will have on the community. We will definitely do it next year.”

In a combined effort to create further awareness within the Bermuda community about AIDS and HIV, Ms Tallack’s friend, Donelle Bright, decided to help by creating and distributing packets to the schools.

“It was good to have an educational purpose because that’s how you get awareness, by going into schools,” she said.

“At the end of February, I sent out to all of the principals at all of the schools pamphlets. There were pamphlets for all different ages.”

Ms Bright created packets from information she found on the Internet and tailored for Bermuda. The packets were for ages five to nine, then 10 to 12, teenagers and finally parents.

Lady D also believes there is a need for this increased awareness on the Island on how AIDS and HIV affect everyone — regardless of their colour, ethnicity or gender. She remembers harassment she has endured in Bermuda: “I had an incident in a supermarket in Somerset in 1994 and two complete strangers, both female passed me when I was in the dairy section. The younger one came back and said ‘What did I need at the store? Was it bacon and AIDS?’

“Another time, in the same supermarket, another stranger grabbed my cart and just pushed it away.”

However, when she moved to New Jersey, Lady D found the support services more readily available. She added: “Maybe it was different for me because I worked for an AIDS Coalition which had endless services for HIV education and training. They had free legal services for those who had been discriminated because of HIV.

“They had support groups, Meals on Wheels and housing for people with HIV.

“And what struck me most was it didn’t matter what age, race, colour — the whole purpose was to help people with HIV.”

The purpose of the funds raised by the walk on Sunday is to create a fund which will help extend benefits to anyone affected or infected by AIDS or HIV in Bermuda.

Caroline Armstrong, director of STAR, said: “It was an emotional day.

“We had the AIDS quilt out. It is made of 13-inch patches that have been sown together.

“We encourage family and friends to submit their 13-inch by 13-inch square that they can create and have it continually grow. It was a great turnout and we’re really looking forward to next year.”