The 48-year-old actress, who played Stephanie Scully on the long-running Australian soap, detailed the family tragedy to mark World AIDS Day on Tuesday, telling Instagram followers her father had “lived his last days in shame, terrified and alone”.Peter died of AIDS in 1986 when Carla was just 13 years old. He had been infected with the HIV virus after a blood transfusion following a kidney transplant.Due to concerns over the spread of the virus at a time when little was known about transmission of the disease, Carla said Peter’s belongings were destroyed after his death and his body was “put in a plastic bag”, leaving the family devastated over how he was treated.The TV star also shared her frustration over the lack of accountability at the time, sharing that the family was assured by the government that the blood her father received was “clean and safe coming from our brothers and sisters wanting to help fellow Aussies”.“This man is my father,” she wrote beneath a black and white photo of him.“In the early 80’s he developed kidney disease. He eventually became recipient of Kidney donation. But his body rejected the kidney & he had to have blood transfusions.”“Those transfusions were the beginning of the end for him,” she continued.“The end of life as he knew it. The end of his dignity. And tragically the end of his life.“I’m so sorry he suffered the way he did. The way he was treated was abhorrent. Bottom of the barrel. He lived his last days in shame, terrified and alone.“When he died, they put him in a plastic bag and a metal casket in case the virus could travel underground. They destroyed his belongings, burned everything.”Carla went on to reveal she has “had to do a lot to heal” over the circumstances surrounding her father’s death, detailing her anger over the blood provider being exempt from medical litigation for the contamination.She also alleged the government “protected” organisations from legal action.“10 years after his death, the responsible parties were granted indemnity against prosecution,” she wrote.“Organisations driving this were protected.“Our government covered this up and intended to keep their dirty little secret forever hidden from victims families.”The soap star concluded her heartbreaking post by reflecting on the toll her dad’s death has had on her throughout her life.“Any opportunity I had to have him in my life was taken from me when I really needed him … The events and memories remain with me for the rest of my life,” she said.“How would my life be now if he was here?”She added that the tragedy left her with no trust for the government.“My hope is that those with their heads in the sand, pull them out and look at what’s happening in the world. This is very serious. Denial will not help you.“I love my community here and can’t imagine any of you would, but for any passers by, don’t ever judge me for not trusting the government.”A ban on blood donations from gay men was put in place in the 1980s when much less was known about the detection and transmission of the disease.It applied to all sexually active gay men, as well as sexually active bisexual men and transgender women who have sex with men – including those in long-term relationships.After the rules introduced at the height of the AIDS epidemic lingered for decades, with gay men only able to donate blood after 12 months of celibacy, new blood donation rules came into effect in January slashing the wait period to three months.The Therapeutic Goods Administration approved Lifeblood’s plan to cut the waiting period, and to also allow homosexual men to donate plasma and platelets.
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