Peter Jepson-Young was born in New Westminster, British Columbia in June 1957. He spent most of his childhood in Nanaimo, BC.

In 1981, Peter began studies at the University of British Columbia School of Medicine. He did his residency at Ottawa General Hospital. At that time St. Paul’s was the only BC hospital willing to care for dying AIDS patients.

In the summer of 1985, he began to experience a number of symptoms that led him to have a HIV test. He was HIV-positive. In September 1986, Peter was admitted to St. Paul’s Hospital and diagnosed with PCP pneumonia. It was then he told his family he was gay and had AIDS.

In 1989, he developed Karposi’s Sarcoma (KS) and a few months later cytomegalovirus (CMV). He was going blind. He realized he could no longer continue his medical practice. He expressed to his colleague, Dr. Jay Wortman, an interest in doing AIDS education.

Jay recalled reading an article about the profound impact of a San Francisco television journalist who chronicled his life with AIDS. Jay and Peter decided to approach Vancouver’s CBC television with the concept.

In September 1990, the first five episodes of the Dr. Peter Diaries were aired. His first diary words were “I am going to introduce you to”. Thus began 111 diary episodes, the final one taped just two weeks before his death in November 1992.

He was young, handsome, and well educated. He personalized the face of the HIV/AIDS epidemic at a time when too few knew the difference between the myths and medical realities of this life threatening illness.

For thousands of viewers who saw his “Dr. Peter Diaries” in their living rooms, Dr. Peter pulled aside a curtain, providing honesty, pathos & humor as he detailed how he lived day-to-day with HIV/AIDS.

After more than two years, what turned out to be his final diary was filmed. Dr. Peter Jepson-Young died on November 15, 1992.

Days before his death, Dr. Peter established the Dr. Peter AIDS Foundation to provide comfort care for people with HIV/AIDS. “If all persons could be provided with the same degree of comfort care as I have been, then the Dr. Peter AIDS Foundation will have achieved that which government or society in general cannot provide. There is no substitute for the ongoing involvement & support of caring people. Persons living with HIV and AIDS have many needs far greater than just survival.”

Dr. Peter-Jepson Young was recently named in the book as one of 'BC's Top 10 Crusaders and Reformers' along with others including Terry Fox and Doreen Millman. They are described as "people who have worked tirelessly to improve our quality of life." and have changed the way Canada and the world look at the challenging issues of our time". Peter's legacy lives on in so many ways.

Read about it in The BC Almanac Book of Greatest British Columbians by Mark Forsythe and Greg Dickson.