Dear Oprah,

I'm HIV-positive, I have brain cancer, and I recently completed the New York City Marathon. Six years ago I had to confess to my wife, Jodi that I was unfaithful, bisexual and HIV-positive. Jodi and I chose to remain married and keep our secret, even from our three daughters. A year later I ran my fastest marathon, 03:23 at age 46. I began to think about the 8,000 people who were dying every day from AIDS and here I was in the best shape of my life. Taking the AIDS medicine, leading a healthy lifestyle, and remaining upbeat were the reasons for my beating AIDS. Realizing how truly blessed I was for my excellent health it became obvious that I needed to do my part to convince the world that 3,000,000 AIDS sufferers need not die every year.

Let's just get the AIDS medicine to AIDS sufferers all over the world and encourage these people to lead a healthy lifestyle.

I had to write a book, Jodi, The Greatest Love Story Ever Told. The title was also a gift to my wife for keeping our family together. My middle daughter was recently voted Most Likely to Succeed by her high school graduating class. AIDS clearly could not destroy my family. A few months after my book and I came out I had a seizure at a book signing in Greenwich Village. Shortly after I was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer; I was determined to prove my cancer doctors wrong. My HIV doctors, we're talking Harvard and New York infectious (AIDS) disease doctors, concluded my brain cancer had nothing to do with my being HIV-positive.

Oprah, I'm currently promoting an AIDS MARATHON IN AFRICA where I have a chance to raise a great deal of money for AIDS sufferers. Equally important would be the opportunity to raise awareness that 8,000 people do not have to die from AIDS every day. Tragically our government has not acknowledged that AIDS even exists. We have postage stamps for diabetes, 911, breast cancer and domestic violence; Why isn't there a stamp for AIDS where a portion of the proceeds from each stamp sold could provide the AIDS medicine to those in need in America?

Oprah, one of the chapters in my book, Jodi, The Greatest Love Story Ever Told is

IF YOU HAVE A DREAM MAKE IT HAPPEN

I HAVE A DREAM. Please help make my dream come true.

A million thanks on behalf of all HIV-positive people,

Richard M. Brodsky