After suspecting something was wrong for a while, Adama’s mother passed away without a diagnosis or treatment. It wasn’t until 10 years later, when Adama tested positive for hepatitis B and experienced the same symptoms, that he realized his mom had suffered from the same virus.

Many of Alan’s immediate family members passed away due to liver cancer, but it wasn’t until Alan himself became ill that the family realized the role hepatitis B played in these deaths.

Alice comes from a Chinese family where talking about illness is taboo. It was only when she became pregnant with her first child that she discovered she had hepatitis B.

When Binh found out he had hepatitis B, his youth and good health led him to put off any follow-up. Several years later, Binh learned his viral load was very high and fortunately started treatment “not a moment too soon.”

Born in a small town in Ghana, Bright emigrated to the U.S. upon finishing teacher training college. Several years later, he learned that his mother, whom he adored, had passed away back home. Devastated, he began to receive counseling. He also learned he is living with chronic hepatitis B after seeking healthcare for feelings of fatigue.

After her father passed away, Bunmi had to request his death certificate in order to learn the cause of death: liver cancer. She felt stifled by the lack of willingness within her family to talk about hepatitis B.

When Carolyn’s mother told her, “He’s just tired; he needs to work less,” Carolyn suspected that something more was going on. She flew to visit her parents in Hawaii and learned that he was dying of liver cancer, the result of chronic hepatitis B.

As a child, Chelle grew up struggling with stomach problems that went undiagnosed. When she was 18, she learned she has hepatitis B after trying to donate to a military blood drive.

Recently engaged and waiting to join her fiancé in America, Chenda got a blood test, only to find out that she has hepatitis B. Upon seeing a doctor in Cambodia, she was inspired to learn how to protect her family and lover from the disease.

Cinder and her husband grew up on a small island in Micronesia, where there is stigma against seeing doctors. Even after they moved to Hawaii and her husband became an advocate for their community, he didn’t want to receive treatment for his hepatitis B.

For three years, Dai dedicated her life to caring for her severely ill father. She made sure he took his medications, went with him to doctor’s appointments, and sought support for him in the Vietnamese community.

David learned as a teenager that he has hepatitis B, and at first, he was confused and depressed. During his freshman year of high school, he attempted suicide. After that, David started therapy, but the sessions focused solely on his suicide attempt and not on the questions and challenges he was dealing with related to his hepatitis B diagnosis.

DeWayne contracted hepatitis B when he had a blood transfusion as a child. Growing up in foster care and not having health insurance, DeWayne went without treatment for most of his life.

After a year of testing and waiting, DHE was diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B. He was shamed by his doctor into believing he was to blame and became too embarrassed to talk about his status.

Edwin contracted hepatitis B through exposure to blood from his mother during childbirth. Even though he knew she had hepatitis B, he grew up not understanding the serious effects the virus could have on his health.

Espi found out that she had hepatitis B when she was 64. For some time, she was monitored every six months, but eventually a doctor told her she could die if she didn’t begin treatment.

After overcoming a difficult childhood in Burkina Faso, FK worked hard to move to the United States, and eventually, her mother joined her. FK was diagnosed with hepatitis B six months after arriving, so she began educating herself and encouraging family and friends to get screened.

Heng met Wendy when both were in college and fell in love with her right away. When Wendy told him she had hepatitis B, he got tested and found out he was already protected from the virus.

When Jacki learned that his brother’s liver cancer was caused by hepatitis B, he got tested and found out he had the virus, too. Later, his wife also found out she has hepatitis B.

Janet and Kurt had tried to adopt for 5 years when they received a placement of a baby whose mother was hepatitis B positive.