A 28-year-old mum was betrayed by her father who introduced her to a man he thought she could marry. But after “setting her up”, she discovered the dad was sleeping with him. A mum-of-three discovered her dad was sleeping with her ex husband.....CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE
A mum has become a YouTube star after opening up about her dad’s heartbreaking betrayal as he was secretly sleeping with her husband – which left her with HIV for life.
Brenda was just 19 years old when she was expecting her first child with her ex partner. The pair met through her pastor father – who insisted the duo would be a perfect match. After they tied the not, it was soon revealed her dad was sleeping with him and it was all “a set up”.
Speaking on YouTube’s Love Don’t Judge, Brenda said: “I felt betrayed, I felt disgusted, I felt I wasn’t worth anything. I didn’t believe in the world loyalty anymore.”
Brenda, 28, is now happily married to her supportive husband Brandon
Brenda, 28, is now happily married to her supportive husband Brandon
Elaborating further, the mum, from Jacksonville, Florida, said: “My dad said this is one of his friends. Everyone knew I was the preacher’s kid and they have this obsession over preacher’s daughters. And my dad wanted me to marry and for us to meet because he thought we would be a good fit. I thought he was just a member of my dad’s church.
“I felt trapped. I was depressed. I started to look sick.” After seeking medical advice, Brenda found out she was HIV positive. She left her former husband and cut all contact with her dad. Following her diagnosis, Brenda was worried if she’d ever find someone who would be accepting of her condition.
Thankfully, the mum to daughters Elizabeth, Isabella, and Nova, met Brandon. “I was already in love with her from the first interaction,” Brandon said. But, she was nervous he wouldn’t want to be with her when he found out she had HIV.
Brandon helps his wife ensure she takes her HIV medicine every day
“I was really nervous when I told Brendon I have a horrible past,” she added. But thankfully Brandon was unaffected by her condition and supported her along the journey. The couple have openly spoken on her YouTube channel IAm Brenda J and on TikTok about how they navigate Brenda’s HIV every day.
Brenda takes HIV medicine every day and when their pair want to be intimate they make sure to take tests to ensure they remain undetected. Brenda also pointed out all three of her children are HIV negative too. Speaking on IAm Brenda J, Brandon said: “It’s pretty much normal every day. She has to take a pill every night. There’s really nothing different about living with someone with HIV.”
Brenda, 28, says the worst part of having HIV is dealing with side effects such as anxiety and depression, plus the judgement from strangers. She explained: “A lot of people think that we do this for clout. Comments like, ‘you’re selfish for having kids, you’re selfish for being married to a man who is HIV negative. Sometimes I will read people saying that I need to die’.”
Brandon added: “The judgement really bothered my wife at one point.” Brenda, who has over 200,000 TikTok followers, added: “People make me feel like I am not human, that I don’t belong here, that I am a walking disease. I want people to know there is life after HIV.”
