Autum Aquino, who was nationally recognized through her early advocacy for AIDS awareness and education died Thursday at Eastern Maine Medic Center at age 23.

Aquino was exposed to human immunodeficiency virus in her mother’s womb, Terry Dannemiller and diagnosed with the infection when she was 2 years old. Dannemiller got the virus from her husband who was a drug addicted. She went public that she and her daughter have the disease in 1991 deciding to dispel common misperceptions about HIV and, by that, pushing the discussion about AIDS into the forefront.

In 1992, Aquino and her family moved to Lakeland, Fla., but they were never received with open hearts because of their disease. That’s why in January 1993, the family moved back to Maine. In 1993, Dannemiller died and Autum wasn’t expected to live much longer.

But she moved in with an aunt and uncle in the Bangor area, attended Hampden schools and graduated from Hampden Academy in 2003 where she talked students about HIV and AIDS trying to raise awareness on them. She also helped establish an HIV awareness group at the school, made representations at other area schools and spoke at a state conference on HIV sponsored by the Department of Education.

“When she first moved to our district when she was in middle school, we held a public forum [about HIV and AIDS]. She wanted people to know. She didn’t want to hide it. She wanted to be available to answer people’s question. She was the first student to come out and say, ‘I have HIV.’ She was just incredible. She took good care of herself physically, but she also had an amazing attitude. I don’t think I ever saw her without a smile on her face,” School nurse Barb parent told local Bangordailynews.com.