SHERLITA BLANKS WINDHAM
Sherlita Blanks Windham, a vibrant, 37 years old, single mother of 4 great kids. She is a licensed Zumba fitness instructor. She holds the title of a licensed bail bond agent. She manages to put in time and effort as a volunteer recreational basketball coach. She held the position as a peer counselor. She passionately provides excellent care to others through her positions as a personal care assistant, as the front office coordinator of a clinic, as a friend, encourager, and a motivational speaker. Through all the important roles that she fills, last but not least, she is a woman on the forefront to advocate for HIV after being diagnosed with it in February 2014. Sherlita believes that being diagnosed not only changed her life, but gave a new meaning to her life.
To be POWERED is to effectively get something done and to do it to the effect of making a positive impact! It has been Sherlita’s passion to be used as the example to others that HIV does not discriminate against any race, sex, religion, or social status. She states that she is not living with HIV but just simply living. The status is not what defines her because she fondly reflects to the word of God in Roman 8:37, “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” Sherlita breaks down the word POWERED; (prevail), (overcome), (win), (encourage), (relax), (embrace), (determine). She states,” You have to see yourself being victorious, set your mind to succeed in any situation, be prepared to come out on top, have confidence and motivation, stay focused, accept things at face value and decide how and what to do to move forward.”
“Warning comes before destruction is a statement we all have heard but sometimes fail to adhere to until something is damaged or destroyed. Going through life thinking that your plans are sufficient can lead to walking down painful and dangerous paths. Sometimes you find yourself trying to find yourself and in the midst you lose your identity and settle for things less than your worth. Seeking attention and fulfillment from people, places, and things may cause problems that you have no ways to solve.”
“I became ill in January 2013 with what I thought was a common cold. I felt my body take a dramatic change but only thought that it was because I was a busy body and needed rest. My sickness got worst and thinking it was the flu, I treated it myself with home remedies. I became so sick that I had to seek medical attention. The dr. tested me for HIV and flu and both results were negative. Due to the drastic drop in my white blood cells, painful and itching rash all over my body, body aches, drenching night sweats, high fevers, weight loss, fatigue, vomiting, weakness, headaches and nausea, it was assumed that I was suffering from leukemia. I was sent to an oncologist for weekly evaluations. I developed a swollen lymph node on the side of my neck and had surgery and loss mobility in my right arm followed with constant severe pain. I recovered from that by doing a small thing seemingly to others but ended up causing me a great outcome of regaining use of my arm. You see, God will use the foolish things to confound the wise, 1 Corinthians 1:27. My sister, who is a pastor, instructed me to get hard lemons and squeeze them soft for 3 nights in a row and it would help me. 1 Samuel 15:22 Obedience is better than sacrifice. I obeyed and my arm was back in use. It was not belief in the lemons or in my sister but it was faith that God was going to do something miraculously through my obedience. Over the course of 6 months of dr. visits with no conclusive answer, I stopped my appointments and continued my normal routines. December 2013, I was prompted by an inner feeling to change my family’s insurance provider. I already had a policy but God was giving me divine assistance of warning before I was destroyed. God loves us so much that He wants all to have abundance of life and not perish. “Obedience is better than sacrifice” came back to my remembrance. I obeyed the directions and followed the procedures as I was led to. January 2014, I received a letter of denial for the insurance. My healthcare provider researched the issue and January 27, 2014, I learned my blood had antibodies of HIV.”
I
AM
POWERED