We Are All the Same: A Story of a Boy's Courage and a Mother's Love

We Are All The Same In his short twelve years of life, a young South African boy through courage, determination, and love taught the world that Aid's is a killer with no concern for race, age, religion, or sexual preference. "We Are All The Same written by Jim Wooten deserves a five-star rating for is raw and real depiction of not only the life of young Nkosi Johnson, but of that of his world in which he and so many others live. With the help and love from two mothers Nkosi used his life to bring the world's attention to his killer; making his own life an open book, this young child born to poverty only wanted to help others living with and dying from Aids; although, the author indulges readers into aspects of his life that are irrelevant to the story, or the life of Nkosi this does not take away from the strong courageous, and heartfelt message that this book delivers. In the late eighty's and early nineties the word Aid's was believed to be here in America as a gay disease. But in Africa a continent that this disease took hostage quietly over the years this was the number one killer. Not just of gays or loose women, but for wives, husbands, and their children. One child born with this disease that was passed to him unknowingly from his mother used his illness to reach out and teach a nation. Handy 2 Unlike most children born with Aid's; Nkosi was given a second life when his mother did the only thing she felt she could to protect her son, and that was to take Nkosi where she felt he would be safe from the life, and people around him. Living in a shelter for aids victim's as a baby Nkosi was taken in by the shelters founder and her family when the shelter went bankrupt. It was there in that house, with that loving family Nkosi received the love, nourishment, and courage to live his life. Gail Johnson, and her family not only took in a baby who was at the time HIV positive, but together they took on his disease. Every battle was fought together as a family, and every triumph was celebrated together as a family. In the house Nkosi received the love that kept him living longer than he was expected to. It was with this love he and his foster mother felt for other Aids victims that sent the two of them on his life long crusade. From his first interview with Nkosi Johnson Jim Wooten admits to being drawn to him, and the courageous women that loved him. This book is truly a treasure. I was moved and enlightened by the story of this young boy's life. From this book any one who reads it will be in for an emotional treat that will live in your heart and memory forever. It educated me on the crusade of Hiv and Aid's, and just how far we as people have come with the acceptance and understanding of it's victims. This is a book that I will keep in my permanent library and revisit through the years.

"We Are All the Same" is the compelling account of the life of Xolani Nkosi Johnson, an African child that was bound by the wrath of HIV and AIDS. The book also details the social, environmental, and political environment which allowed this treacherous disease (AIDS) to pollute and emaciate entire populations of citizens: A disease which knows no boundaries; a disease which does not discriminate; a disease that kills all that are infected by its virus. Wooten is a writer to be revered for his honesty, and applauded for covering what is often regarded as a subject to be discussed in hushed circumstances. As compelling as "Tuesday's with Morrie," this book will leave the reader in a state of deep thought and introspect. "We Are All the Same" forces the reader to enter an emotional state that opens the heart to the raw brutality of the consequences of AIDS and the unfortunate position that many developed nations take as they turn a blind eye to what is commonly referred to as the "Dark Continent." Angela, PhD Candidate

This is a moving story about AIDS. In some areas of southern Africa the life expectancy has been cut in half. The hero of this book is a little boy born in South Africa. His growth was stunted by pediatric AIDS. He lived for 12 1/2 years before he passed away. The author met this little boy who had a wonderful sense of humor. The theme of his life is that he was a "normal" boy. He had a huge infectious smile that everyone loved. This little boy fought for the right to go to school and won that right for himself and others. In Africa AIDS is a heterosexual disease and a childrens disease. This little boy, Nkosi, fought for the rights of all persons with AIDS. Nkosi had tremendous courage and his mantra was to do all he could in the time he had. He was even the keynote speaker at a major AIDS conference in South Africa. He spoke in front of over 20,000 people at this conference. Nkosi had a wisdom beyond his years. He was a very smart little boy. He had a sense of himself and was sophisticated far beyond his years. He was always willing to talk about persons with AIDS as he believed it was a cause far bigger than just himself. Nkosi had a classmate in school who became his best buddy. Nkosi's teacher was just marvelous and treated Nkosi without a stigma. Living to 12 1/2 years Nkosi was one of the longest living pediatric aids babies in South Africa. As you read this wonderful book you will learn all about a this boy's courage and his mother's great love for him.

Mr. Wooten has crafted a story of extraordinary elegance and simplicity. I can only imagine what a formidable task it was for him to attempt to convey the strength, purity and valour of this one fragile, brave boy in a sea of pain and despair. One is left with both a sense of unspeakable grief at the cruelty of a cold and uncaring world and the light of hope; if one small child and one determined woman can move the mountains of ignorance then there may redemption for us all. I challenge anyone to read this book and not be profoundly altered.

When I read this poignant book, I wondered as to how some people seem to get it-- in this instance Gail Johnson who crossed class and race lines to care for Nkosi Johnson, the young Zulu boy who died at the age of 12 with AIDS-- and others either cannot or do not want to get it-- here I refer to President Mbeki of South Africa, Mandella's sucessor, who believes that an "omnipotent apparatus" is using AIDS as an instrument of genocide against black Africans. These instruments are pharmaceutical companies, scientists, physicians, medical researchers and Western goverments. The author of this book, Jim Wooten of ABC News, says that he is writing "about the relationship between a black child who never grew up and a white woman who never gave up. It has neither a happy ending nor even a promising beginning, for the child had no choice and no chance, and the woman knew all along what she was up against." Like the current U. S. deficit, the numbers of AIDS cases in Africa, or anywhere else for that matter, have very little impact on us. They are so large and impersonal. But the story of the courageous young Nkosi puts a face on the pandemic and in a small way brings it home to all of us. As the youngster said so eloquently: "We are all the same." Both Nkosi and his adopted mother-- she actually did not adopt him legally and, according to Wooten, made every effort to see that he maintained a relationship with his birth family-- were heroes of the first order. (I kept wishing as I read this book in one setting that Wooten had provided the reader with a photograph of Ms. Johnson. I wanted to put a face on Nkosi's adopted "angel" mother.") It is sad to learn that Nelson Mandela, certainly one of the world's heroes, did not speak out against AIDS as he could have while he was president because he was uncomfortable discussing sex. I would nominate the president of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, as an unusual hero too who did use his position to speak out about AIDS and when faced with opposition by the Catholic archbishop of the use of condoms by Uganda citizens to curb the spread of AIDS simply said to the archbishop: "'Your Eminence, shut up!'" According to the president, that's precisely what the archbishop did. He shut up. Finally Wooten is to be commended for breaking the rules of journalism and becoming emotionally involved as he fell under the spell of this young boy. If you read this fine story-- and certainly this is a great book for this season-- you will not soon forget Mr. Wooten's lying down beside the dying boy to say his own goodbyes. This remarkable story of courage and love will warm your heart.