Remembering Dr. Peter

Twenty years since death of iconic figure in fight against HIV/AIDS

Jesse Johnston Nov 15, 2012 08:51:59 AM VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – On this day 20 years ago, Vancouver lost an iconic figure in the fight against HIV and AIDS.

His name was Peter Jepson-Young, but he’s much better known as Dr. Peter. He went on TV more than a hundred times to talk about his struggles with the disease and helped erase much of the stigma that surrounded HIV in the early 1990s.

Dr. Peter was also the subject of a documentary that was nominated for an Academy Award.

“He actually went on to say that he knew he was very fortunate… and what an unusual word for him to use two weeks before his death,” says Dr. Peter Foundation Executive Director Maxine Davis.

“But he knew that he had family; he had friends and he had all of the support he needed to cope and he knew there were many other people not in that situation and that was who he wanted his foundation to provide help to,” adds Davis.

Two decades after his death, the Dr. Peter Centre in Vancouver still provides care for people who have HIV/AIDS, or suffer from addiction or mental illness.

“The vision for the foundation is actually a time when we aren’t needed,” says Davis. “If we are successful, that will be the reality. Until then, we will do whatever we can to respond to individuals who desperately need more than just medication in order for their care to be successful.”