After moving back home to seek treatment for hepatitis B, struggling to find any hepatitis B specialists, and going through a disastrous experience with one provider, Jason finally located a caring and knowledgeable doctor who gave him hope.

When she was very young, Jinqiu’s mother told her she has a germ and that she shouldn’t touch anyone if she was bleeding. Later, Jinqiu revealed to her entire class that she has hepatitis B.

After being diagnosed with hepatitis B, Joe didn’t seek regular monitoring because his doctor didn’t provide information about what his diagnosis meant. Years later, he learned that his liver was inflamed and that he was also infected with hepatitis Delta, a serious coinfection of hepatitis B.

When he was 16, John learned during a routine medical checkup that he has hepatitis B. After his mother reacted with tears and concern, he decided that he needed to demonstrate to himself and others that people living with the virus can live full, adventurous lives.

Julie discusses challenges, she and her family experienced because of hepatitis B including fears of stigma and discrimination in her community.

#justB Savvy

Kat’s father has hepatitis B, but nobody in the family is willing to talk about it. For years, they weren’t allowed to share the same chopsticks or eat dinner with him. As Kat grew older, she learned how hepatitis B is actually spread and shared this information with the family.

Kenson was living at home in the Marshall Islands when he learned he had hepatitis B. After being told that treatment was unavailable there, he and his wife moved to Hawaii, where he had a successful liver transplant. His recovery was challenging, and he thought a great deal about why he had to go through the surgery.

Since the passing of her brother Timothy, Lydia watches over Timothy’s children, teaching them about hepatitis B. The memory of Timothy lives on through a watch Lydia was gifted to her by Timothy for her college graduation.

MD grew up in Vietnam and learned at age 12 that she has chronic hepatitis B. She kept this information to herself until she came to the United States to attend college. After attending a student conference, she wondered why people with various health conditions kept them secret.

Maureen did not learn that her soon-to-be adopted daughter, Libby, has hepatitis B until she went to China to pick her up. She and her husband made the decision to go through with the adoption. Libby and her adopted sister, who is also hepatitis B positive, have led happy, healthy lives.

Kim’s father was forced to escape to the United States from Vietnam, in the wake of the war. He located his family and brought them to Minnesota. Kim shares her love for her father and wonders whether the stigma about hepatitis B in the Vietnamese community prevented him from telling the family and seeking medical care earlier.

When Maureen learned that her young daughter had hepatitis B, she knew she would need to fight for her daughter's health. What she did not anticipate was the reaction from family and others who learned of the diagnosis.

Michelle focuses her story on the experience of caring for her husband, Peter, who went from feeling relatively healthy to being in a medically-induced coma due to liver failure. She speaks of the anxiety she felt as their family waited to find out whether an appropriate donor could be found and the relief they experienced once Peter was approved for a liver transplant.

Nancy recounts the story of her father’s death. She and her family tried to get him into treatment, but it was too late; liver cancer had spread throughout his body.

After being on medication for hepatitis B for more than a decade, Peter’s GI doctor told him that his reduced viral load meant he could stop taking his medication. Just a year and a half later, Peter was in the hospital awaiting a liver transplant.

During preliminary health checks for nursing school, Monue found out he has hepatitis B. Although the nursing school threatened to take away his acceptance, Monue wrote an essay fighting for his position pointing to the laws prohibiting discrimination based on his diagnosis and showing how his viral load was near zero.

The excitement in Randy’s family over his son Cody’s acceptance to the U.S. Naval Academy turned to disappointment when they learned that Cody has a hepatitis B infection.

After arriving in Canada, Rav told his new family doctor about his hepatitis B diagnosis, and she ran many tests. The results showed that he has both liver cirrhosis as well as hepatitis D co-infection. He is eager to educate communities about hepatitis B and D and help support efforts to find better treatments for both.

While Rebekah works in the emergency room, she has memories of her time supporting her father while he was in the hospital before he passed away from hepatitis B.

When Rensely’s husband, Kenson, was diagnosed with liver disease, the doctor complimented her on her strength. She continued to be strong as she cared for him in his journey through a liver transplant.