Far from the ordinary reality TV star with 15 minutes of fame, HIV/AIDS activist and educator Pedro Zamora was an inspiration and role model to the GBLT community and the rest of the world. Born on February 29, 1972 to Cuban parents, Hector and Zoraida, he grew up in a small town near Havana, Cuba. After having seven children, Pedro's mother was told before his birth that he would not be able to have any more children , so when she gave birth to him it was almost seen as a miracle. Born feet first on a leap day of a leap year, it reinforced the idea that he was a very special child. A Santeria priestess even blessed him as a child and called him a "sage", a soul born to save human lives. He grew up in a very small house with a dirt floor and food was in short supply with his mother trading things on the black market for food to support their large family. Growing up in these harsh conditions made her childhood difficult, but things changed for the better when Zamora's family moved to Hialeah, a suburb of Miami, Florida (Mills). When Zamora was 8 years old, her family of ten tried to leave Cuba together for the United States. They left Cuba during the Mariel Boat Lift, a mass movement of Cubans who left the port of Mariel trying to reach the United States in 1980. Although her family tried to stay together, government officials informed them that her four older brothers were also close to draft age and would not have been admitted to the United States with the rest of their family. Although the family wanted to go together, the older brothers were adamant that the rest of the family have the opportunity for a better life in America. Thus, the rest of the family continued their journey to the United States. After sailing on a boat with 250 people with a boat with half the capacity for 13 hours, Pedro and his family arrived and started a new life (Vaillancourt). When Zamora was 13, her mother died of skin cancer. During his time in the United States before his death, they had developed a very close relationship and her death was devastating for him. During his high school years, Pedro became an honors student, captain of the cross country team, and president of the science club.