As long as Stephen St. Julian can take in a deep breath of fresh air, he says he can not have a bad day.

At exactly 4 p.m. on October 9, 1987, St. Julian was informed by a San Francisco clinic that he had tested positive for the AIDS virus. At the time, St. Julian was in his second year of law school in San Francisco.

St. Julian, said because he has been a long-term survivor of the AIDS virus, he has had a chance to re-evaluate his life.

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It’s like being 80-years-old and realizing that you don’t have that much longer to live, and you start acting nice to everyone, he said. There is no such thing as a bad day. You put into perspective all the important things in life.

I have learned and benefited from my experience in ways other infected people don’t, he said. When I’m gone I want people to say, He was a really good guy. I really liked him.’ That’s what is important to me.

St. Julian is one of the 4.5 million people living with the AIDS virus, as reported by a June 1995 estimate of the World Health Organization. He is also one of the main reasons for recognizing World AIDS Day.

Despite his life threatening illness, St.Julian received his law degree and serves on the Ryan White AIDS council, which disperses federal money to different causes in Jackson County.

Tonight, St. Julian will be speaking at a candlelight vigil and rally at Shyrock Auditorium organized by the Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals and Friends organization. The event was designed to raise awareness concerning the AIDS virus, organizers said.

St. Julian was first tested for AIDS because he was seriously involved with a woman and was considering marriage.

St. Julian said because of his lifestyle at the time, he knew he could test positive for the virus.

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I knew from my past history the test could be positive, he said. It would be a miracle if it was not negative. I loved her and she loved me, but we broke it off. It was the right thing to do. Fortunately she was not infected.

Even though he lived in the city with the best AIDS treatment in the world, St. Julian said he wanted to return to the Jackson County Area because he missed the area and his family. He attended SIUC for his undergraduate studies.

A lot of people said you’ re leaving the best medical treatment in the world to go where, he said. But after a while, city life gets to you. You get tired of looking at sick people. I had attended 83 funerals, I had lost the most important people in the world to me.

St. Julian said he has visited many dying patients and friends in hospitals, and he said that experience made him realize the importance of his family.

So many people don’t have family for whatever reasons, he said. I’ve spent so much time in hospitals and no matter how old they (patients) are, they always cry out for their mothers.

I want to be around the people who love me.

St. Julian said his family has always been supportive. He said he never hid his lifestyle, and the first person he told in his family of his infection was his grandmother.

She called me and told me she was praying at her Baptist Church and said they were tired of praying for rain, St. Julian said. So they decided to pray for the people with the AIDS virus.

That was her way of saying everything was okay, he said. She helped me break the news to the rest of my family.

St. Julian said the unavailability of medical attention is a problem in the area. He said Jackson County has a visiting doctor that must treat between 70 to 80 patients in one day.

I’m at the point that I’m more concerned about his (the doctor’s) health than mine, he said. He really needs to rest.

St. Julian said he is optimistic about a new FDA approved drug, 3TC, which has proven to greatly increase T cell counts in AIDS patients.

The drug was quickly approved by the FDA, which proves its effectiveness, he said. It’s now a matter of availability.

St. Julian said he is impressed by the efforts of the community and campus for today’s events.

When I was infected, no one even wanted to admit it existed, he said. Now people have accepted the fact, and I’m glad its reaching the rural areas. It takes a lot of guts to bring together an event like this.

Info box for events recognizing World AIDS Day

n World AIDS Day rally and candlelight vigil 5:30 p.m., meet in Roman Room. Bring a canned good and a candle

n Informative displays will be in the Faner Hall Breezeway from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

n World AIDS Day Coffee House from 8-10 p.m. in the Student Center Big Muddy Room