Bill’s Story

Bill Mann has been living with HIV for so long that he doesn’t know the exact date he received his diagnosis. Before testing positive, he had viewed NAP as the organization that hosted Night of a Thousand Stars. He knew NAP did great work, but he had no direct experience with its mission or programming.

 That all changed in the early 1990s, when a close friend tested positive for HIV and died by suicide soon after. Bill was living in Nebraska City at the time and decided that he should visit NAP in Omaha.

 “At that point, I didn’t have any symptoms, but I just had this feeling in my head that I needed to get tested,” Bill says.

 He completed his test, and two weeks later a NAP counselor informed him that his test was positive for HIV.

 “After that,” Bill says, “I came to see NAP as an agency that supported those who were coming to terms with a diagnosis and the experiences that went along with learning that you were positive.”

 A few years later, Bill moved out west to his hometown of Scottsbluff, Nebraska, where he began working with Jill Young from NAP. They have been together ever since. Last year Jill, who serves as Supportive Services Manager, celebrated her 21st year with the agency.

  “I met with Jill when I moved out west to see what NAP could offer in the Scottsbluff area, and I was so pleased. She was exceptional then and she continues to be exceptional at her job.”

 Bill has been successfully managing his HIV for more than 27 years. During that time, he’s seen some huge advancements in the treatment and support for those living with HIV.

 “The improvement in HIV treatment has been tremendous,” he says. “I take one pill a day now. Much better than the days I used to have to carry a timer around to remember to take my pills.”

 Similarly, he highlights the support that NAP provides related to housing and utility expenses for its clients.

 “I haven’t needed them in a very long time, but when I did, Jill fought hard for me to get the help I needed.”

 But more than this, Bill really credits the umbrella of care that was built around him in Scottsbluff as making a difference in his life.