Obituary Article

[AGDLynn]

This is the news article about Angela Minish Henson's brother. Angela is from Gamma Tau Chapter.

News Obituary Article

CARROLLTON: Jay Minish, 24, speaker on living with AIDS virus

By HELENA OLIVIERO


Jay Minish was a 24-year-old hemophiliac who contracted the AIDS virus as a child and shared his life story with thousands of Georgia students.

The green-eyed young man, who loved wrestling, blended easily with the crowds of high school students.

"Don't live my life," he told them. "I'm glad I have the attitude to live with it."

"He was a very powerful speaker," said John Paul Griffin, Rotary coordinator for AID Atlanta. "He was young and the students could identify with him. He was also very brave about speaking about HIV as a young straight man."

Mr. Minish called his speaking engagements "therapy," said his father, Dan Minish of Carrollton.

James Dan "Jay" Minish Jr. of Carrollton died Wednesday at Atlanta Medical Center from a brain hemorrhage complicated by hemophilia. The funeral is 11 a.m. today at Carrollton First United Methodist Church. Martin & Hightower Heritage Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Minish contracted HIV through contaminated blood products while being treated for hemophilia when he was about 5 years old. He learned about his HIV status in the seventh grade. From then on, he faced a stream of medical challenges and personal setbacks, including being kicked off a community swim team after parents complained.

But Mr. Minish, an affable young man, said in an interview last year that he never felt sorry for himself because he "was surrounded by so many positive people in my life --- my family and friends."

"I know when he was alone, he would get depressed," said his father, "but I can't ever remember seeing him down in the dumps."

A sports fan, Mr. Minish had many fans himself, including his doctors at Emory University Hospital.

"Jay is the kind of patient who makes you keep trying," said Dr. Shanta Zimmer, an infectious disease specialist. "Jay had a special gift of connecting with people."

Survivors include his mother and stepfather, Terri Ellis Todd and Grant Todd of Barnardsville, N.C.; his stepmother, Cindy Minish of Carrollton; a sister, Angela Minish Henson of Duluth;

two stepbrothers, Caleb Stephens of Carrollton and Adam Todd of Minneapolis; and two stepsisters, Hillary Teal of Whitesburg and Jennifer Cliver of Woodstock.



© 2004 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on 5/21/2004.