Fourteen-year-old Baurzhan and his friends stand in the bustling heart of Shymkent city, Kazakhstan, next to a large sign that says “Hug me, I have HIV.” And sure enough, people line up to embrace him.

It’s not the first time that Baurzhan has gone public about his HIV status. The hugging idea emerged from a TEDx talk last year, when he and his mother Aliya described their experiences since Baurzhan’s diagnosis when he was just nine months old. Before an audience of 100 people, Aliya asked if anyone could remember an incident in 2006 when 149 children in southern Kazakhstan were accidentally infected with HIV through blood transfusions at a local hospital.

A few hands were raised and she went on to describe how these children and their families were still living in fear and isolation – all except one. Then Baurzhan chimed in: “I am one of those 149 children. I am HIV-positive and today, I am the only teenager in Kazakhstan with HIV who is living openly.”

The audience gave him a standing ovation. And afterwards, many people asked if they could give him a hug.