Hepatitis C Haven is launching the 'Gloria Adams HCV Community Action Award' in recognition of the immense amount of support this wonderful lady has given to the HCV community over the past years and her HCV advocacy efforts.
The Gloria Adams HCV Community Action Award is a semi-annual award given by Hepatitis C Haven to a person in the Hepatitis C Community who continually goes above and beyond to support people affected by HCV and raise awareness for this virus and disease process. The first recipient of this award is, of course, Gloria Adams. This award comes out of respect and admiration for a person who gives selflessly to help the Hepatitis C Community. It is our hope that Gloria will be able to help us select future recipients of this award for a years to come.
Read her amazing story below!
Several years ago, maybe in 2009, I was part of an online hepatitis c support group. People in that group were talking about this woman named Gloria Adams. She was in the hospital. She had just completed her second round of treatment for hepatitis c and found out she had liver cancer. She was in the hospital getting a liver resection. Everyone was very concerned and they had such wonderful things to say about her. I couldn't wait for her to feel well enough to come online. I was intrigued. Shortly thereafter, Gloria returned to the group and made her presence known! She is a very strong woman who knows her stuff when it comes to a lot of things but especially hepatitis c. I very quickly became friends with her and I have been blessed to have her around ever since.
A few years after that first online meeting, both Gloria and I were very unhappy with that online group we were both a part of. We put our heads together and started an online hepatitis c support group of our own.. It started slowly but we were reaching people. We made that group grow from a few people to a sizable number. From a few posts a day to a thousand or more a month, Gloria's advice and kind words to the people in the group did not go unnoticed. She has this way of reaching thru that internet connection and letting you know she is right there with you and will help you any way she can. When it comes to hep c, Gloria has been there and done that. Gloria uses her life experiences, both with hepatitis c and a variety of other things, to help people get thru their walk with hepatitis c. She always has the right words for that person who just found out about their diagnosis or for the person who is in the middle of a battle with the dragon. She always has just the right words and just the right information. She fought her battle with the dragon and she won.. well sort of. Gloria beat hep c but she is currently battling a war against liver cancer.
For years now, Gloria has been reaching out and helping people who are fighting the battle with hepatitis c. I have stood right next to her as she did this but last December, when my dog unexpectedly passed away, Gloria went out of her way to find my phone number and call me. She knew what I would be going thru and she wanted to be there to support me. Gloria lives in Canada and I am in Chicago. Over all these years, we had never had a phone conversation, but right then, in the middle of one of the darkest moments I have had in a long time, there she was on my phone, crying with me.
Gloria has been involved with hepatitis c awareness for a very long time now. From spreading the word to “Get Tested”, encouraging people with a positive diagnosis to get biopsies to find out the state their liver is in, to trying to end the stigma that is attached to this virus, she has been very vocal. She will tell you the truth, whether you want to hear it or not, and you will most always thank her for it. I have yet to meet a person in the hepatitis c world that does not admire her. We all wish we could be what she is. Gloria inspires me to do more.. to make it better... to carry on for her once she is no longer able to do so and my promise to her is that I will.
Gloria, thank you for everything you have given me over the years... the wisdom, the knowledge, the ability to persevere in the face of adversity and the ability to be kind no matter what happens. I have learned so much from you and am so proud to call you my friend. The Hepatitis C Community is a better place because of you. Thank you for all you do.
From Daryl Luster:
My dear friend Gloria Adams exemplifies what an advocate for people with Hepatitis C should be. She has been a staunch advocate for more testing of all people for this deadly virus, which is so prevalent but still receives far to little attention. Gloria is my friend and confidante who has always been there for me when I needed someone to share a story, consult with or to help in planning strategies around Hepatitis C awareness and education campaigns in my own advocacy work. Even though Gloria's own health has been failing, she has worked hard on getting literature out where it is needed. She is knowledgeable, kind and compassionate as well as passionate about saving the lives of people she will likely never meet or see face to face. That, is something that all of us who do this sort of work face, not meeting or getting to know the people who we are able to reach through our efforts. Gloria has had a tremendous impact on many peoples lives and I am inspired by her willingness to give freely of herself so that others may do better in their own battles with hepatitis c. She has a seemingly endless amount of hope. Hope is something that we can all use in great amounts especially when we face hep c and the damage it can do if left undiagnosed and untreated. Gloria knows first hand about that as she has HCC. She never whines or complains about her own condition as she goes about her life, one day at a time. She is someone I admire greatly and I feel very fortunate that I can call her my friend, one of my closest friends. Thank you Gloria, for being part of my life. I know that I am not alone in that belief, not by a long shot!
From Trudy Kinsey:
Gloria Adams is the bravest person that I have been honored to call a friend. Her strength in the face of hardships has inspired me to stand a bit taller, a bit stronger on my own journey. When I felt paralyzed with fear, about to embark on my second round of HCV treatment in six months, Gloria “held my hand”, thru the internet, assuring me she would get me thru to the end of my treatment. This was even as she was going thru her own battle with liver cancer. This promise, her words and her own sense of strength buoyed me each and every day. I am stronger today because of Gloria and I cherish that Gloria is my friend.
Gloria's story is right here on Hepatitis C Haven in the blog section. Please, take a few minutes to get to know this wonderful woman. You'll be glad you did.