HIV-Positive Activist Raises Awareness With Art

Zalnasky was living in Des Moines, Iowa, in 2014 when he started getting sick.

“I was rapidly losing weight, my skin tone was grey,” he recalled of the time in a Facebook post. “I was looking deathly. The fatigue started to set in and set in fast. I realized there was an issue when i got my boots back from being resoled. I complained about how heavy they were. It felt like I was wearing concrete blocks. Well, it wasn't the boots.”

The 54-year-old bounced from doctor to doctor until an infectious disease specialist — realizing Zalnaksy had thrush — finally tested him for and diagnosed him with HIV. Zalnaksy disclosed his status to his employer of nearly nine years immediately and says he was rewarded for his honesty by being placed first on unpaid leave and then terminated.

After losing his job and his insurance, Zalnaksy moved to Florida to stay with his daughter. There he rebuilt his strength and has emerged as an artist and activist who shares his work on social media. He also participates in the annual AIDS/Lifecycle rides.

(Follow him at @ZeeStrong.)