The first patient diagnosed with AIDS in Guangzhou more than two decades ago is living life to the full in the Guangdong provincial capital, according to the Southern Metropolis Daily.

Ah Hua (not his real name), born in the early 1970s, has also become a father after his 35-year-old wife Yu Wen (not her real name), who is also an AIDS patient, gave birth to a baby earlier this year.

“I feel well and have a happy life,” Ah Hua told the media on Sunday, World AIDS Day. He is living with his family and parents.

Ah Hua’s family had a banquet to celebrate when his baby was one month old earlier this year.

Doctors, nurses and friends attended the celebration.

Tang Xiaoping, a doctor in Guangzhou who specializes in AIDS, said support from family, his independence and optimism, plus medical treatment, have helped Ah Hua fight AIDS.

Ah Hua and his wife are on medication twice a day and have regular medical checkups every three months.

He was the first person diagnosed with AIDS in Guangzhou in July 1993.

He met his wife in when he was receiving medical treatment in Guangzhou No 8 People’s Hospital, in 2004. They soon began dating and tied the knot at the end of 2008.

“I know AIDS can not be completely cured, but I am happy every day. I hope people with AIDS will not be discriminated against by the public,” Ah Hua said.