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There is now a garden to show what it is like to be diagnosed with HIV

Written by gaytourism

A garden is on display conveying what it is like to be diagnosed as HIV positive.

At this year’s Chelsea Flower Show, the garden A Life Without Walls has been created to break down the stigma faced by people living with HIV.

The garden was designed especially with adolescents and young people in mind.

Judges have already awarded the garden the silver-gilt, the second highest honor. This is especially impressive as it is the designer’s first garden at the show.

Garden shows what it is like to be diagnosed with HIV

It features a white pod at the top of the garden, representing a clinic.

The journey from the pod through the garden shows their journey towards a life of freedom. Three dark obstructing walls, representing prejudice, make the path more difficult.

It ends with an open seating area, with a metal bench created for the garden, symbolizing a society where people can open up about being HIV positive without fear of judgement.

Garden designer Naomi Ferrett-Cohen graduated from college just two years ago.

She was approached by Professor John Frater and his colleagues from CHERUB collaboration, a network of doctors and researchers working together to find a cure for HIV.

Frater had the idea for the garden while visiting the Chelsea Flower Show two years ago.

‘Amazing forum to get a message out to a huge audience’

‘It’s such an amazing forum to get a message out to a huge audience,’ he told Gay Star News.

‘HIV was the theme, and we decided to base a garden on stigma. We wanted to show how young people deal with being diagnosed with HIV.’

To get inspired, Ferett-Cohen spoke to many young people about their experiences.

‘When they came to me, they told me some of the young people’s stories, I was quite shocked. These young people couldn’t feel like they told their friends they had HIV because of the stigma,’ she said.

‘I went to go and visit some of the young people and got them to write down how they feel. It was not only about doing a show garden, but it felt like a really good cause to get involved with.’

Frater said Steve Bryan, the minister for sexual health, has attended the show and spoke with him about HIV.

‘People are really engaging with the concept’

 

‘We’ve had thousands of people coming past, and we’re talking all day to people about the theme,’ he added.

‘It’s about reminding these people it’s an issue, and that treatment works to allow people live long and happy lives. It seems like no one knows about PrEP or that you can’t pass along HIV if you’re on treatment.

‘Most people who don’t live in our world don’t know.

‘The reaction has been fantastic. The garden is beautiful. People are really engaging with the concept.’

Gilead Sciences sponsored the garden at the Chelsea Flower Show.

 

Mike Elliott, vice president of medical affairs at Gilead Sciences, said: ‘Gilead have been supporting the HIV community for nearly 30 years and we are continuously looking for new initiatives to raise awareness of the key issues facing people living with HIV.

‘The garden at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show is a great example of collaboration between industry, researchers and the community.

‘We are incredibly proud to support a project which is dedicated to helping all people with HIV to live long, happy, healthy lives.’