A family was robbed of the chance to share a lifetime of memories with one of the victims of the infected blood scandal, his sister has said.
The woman, who didn't wish to be named, said her brother died at the age of 27, having been infected with HIV from an infected blood sample.
The scandal resulted in an estimated 2,400 deaths of patients infected with HIV and hepatitis C through contaminated blood products in the 1970s and 1980s.
Read more: Antrim man opens up on moment he text friends about mental health struggles
An inquiry on the continued use of infected blood, despite repeated warnings from the top of government, is due to make final recommendations next year.
Most of those involved had the blood-clotting disorder haemophilia and relied on regular injections of the US product Factor VIII to survive.
They were unaware they were receiving contaminated Factor VIII from people who were paid to donate, including prisoners and drug addicts.
It has been labelled the worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS.
"We think around 14/15 he was told he was infected with HIV and could possibly develop AIDs at some stage," the woman told Belfast Live.
"They asked him was he a homosexual, obviously trying to refer to the fact that the HIV didn't come from the infected blood.
"At this stage they were steering well away from the truth of the matter and I think that was to put the doubt in his mind if he was feeling any effects about where it was coming from."
She went on to say that there was no regard given to the mental impact the news would have on the family and they were left feeling isolated.
The family were simply given some practical information around not spreading the virus, but the stigma attached to HIV was never discussed with them.
"The undertone as well was not to be going public with it, stigmatising the families further," she added.
"To hide something that wasn't their fault, but were being made to feel it was their fault, it was the families that had to hide rather than the government.
"Whether it was a mistake or it was deliberate, they had done something that wasn't right."
She described her brother as someone with a dry with and great love of wildlife, astrology and motorbikes.
"He did manage to go to France for a while and he tried to live as full a life as possible," she said.
He would have just been very laid back in life and he wouldn't dwell too much on things.
"He never complained, never really spoke about how he was feeling, he just wanted to be living his life and showing love all around him."
The woman said the loss of her brother was something she still carried deeply to this day.
"It's just that feeling of never having him there again," she said.
"I feel as if I missed out, my children missed out, my mother and his friends all missed out on his life.
"I remember we were up on holiday in Portrush, I think he was only 16 or 17.
"And we were looking up at the crowds, and I said it'll be great being back up here next year and he said 'that's if I'm here next year'."
The woman said what she wanted to see was justice for her brother, that compensation was not the driving motivation.
"Yes of course people see giving money out as some kind of owning up to things, but it's really the justice that is more important," she said.
"I just want to see the government act quickly on this, it always feels like we're being pushed back and back.
"My dream would be to find out who said what and when, right back to the start of this - there had to be a person that signed off on all of this."
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