It started when I was a graduate student at the UCLA School of Social Work from 1990 to 1993. I decided that I wanted to work with persons living with HIV and AIDS so I could share myself and what I had learned as a cancer survivor with people facing a different sort of life-threatening illness. I also decided that I wanted to complete a Master's Thesis in 1991 and the subject would be on women livi

I admired Dina from the moment we met. She was warm and friendly; she exuding commitment to the cause of HIV and AIDS like it was a perfume that she wore. She spent some time talking to me about my thesis project and explaining the services of ASC, and in her words and her facial expressions I could both hear and see her dedication to her mission. We were interrupted several times by her co-workers; I could tell they respected her too and looked to her for guidance. I left our meeting wanting to be a social worker just like her.
As fate would have it, we met again in 1995. Newly employed at the Santa Monica AIDS Project as the Client Services Coordinator, my boss and I were interviewing for a Clinical Consultant to guide and mentor me. At that time, Dina had left ASC and was working as a consultant. My boss knew Dina, as he had worked at ASC with her, and I jumped at the opportunity to consider her for the position. It wasn't really fair to the other applicants that came to interview because I already had my heart set on making sure my boss offered the job to Dina. She accepted and I was elated!
Over the next three years Dina became my teacher. She challe

Through this experience she also became my friend, much to my delight. We started talking to each other by phone and meeting up with each other to go out. When I considered who to choose for my attendants at my 1998 wedding, Dina became my choice for maid-of-honor. She graciously accepted when I asked her.
In 2000, Dina decided to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor and in the process has transformed herself into a world traveler. She attended medical school at St. Georges University in West Indies and her medical training has taken her to London, the Czech Republic, Cuba, the East Coast, the East S

In recent years, I've often imagine myself doing the same things that Dina is doing. In my parallel life, I would have gone to medical school instead of being diagnose with cancer at age 22 and stayed single instead of getting married. I would have joined the Peace Corps and worked for the World Health Organization. I'd be a world traveler too. I'd be expressing the same dedication to fighting HIV/AIDS that she does:
"Why HIV Medicine? It is my calling. I worked in HIV/AIDS as a social worker and administrator for 12 years before going to medical school. I loved the clients and feel a great sense of purpose in helping those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS throughout the world."So I guess I have come full circle: icon, mentor, friend, icon. In many ways, my relationship with Dina is like following a guru or a rock star: I want to be like her, I want to be close to her, I hang on her every word and I can never get enough of her. She is my HERO for inspiring me, teaching me, helping me and being my friend. I can't imagine my life without her being a part of it.
1 comment
I loved your post - I worked with Dina at ASC in the early 1990's and she was phenomenal. I am an RN, but was so happy that she decided to go to medical school.
Do you have her email address? I would love to contact her. I am interested in working in a third world country with AIDS?HIV pts too.
Sincerely
Anne Driscoll
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