My AIDS Story
This is a story for those who are wondering why. Around 12 years ago, I was a junior reporter in a national daily in Bangalore. I came across some horrifying information. 91 girls were rescued from Kamatipura -- the infamous red-light area in Mumbai. And, 86 girls among them were 'dying of AIDS'. This was to be my first direct encounter with the disease.
Armed with permission from the Department of Women and Child Welfare, and accompanied by a woman photographer I went to meet the 'AIDS victims'. The State Government had 'housed' them in a remand home. To my surprise I found that the girls mostly between the age of 14 and 18 years (the youngest was around 13. They were full of laughter and completely oblivious of the fact that they had an incurable illness. In those days HIV/AIDS meant certain death. I also saw children born to two of these girls- little toddlers playing in the sand.
Since then, I have met several people who are living with the HIV virus in them. There is Padmavathi, a woman full of spirit and a ready laugh, who has become my friend. She was given the virus by her husband. There is Satish, a twelve year old. He got HIV from his mother. There is Selvi, who at present is in hospital with a deadly strain of TB -- and so many more.
You will get to meet them in the pages of this paper. There are also many other stories which you will read in here. About people who have made it their mission to help HIV positive people.
A pediatrician who chooses to work in the government hospital -- to help his little patients fight death. A gynecologist who does not shy away from delivering children of positive mothers. A surgeon who has the distinction of operating on the largest number of HIV positive patients. Not many doctors treat patients who are HIV Positive.
There are others - a rare official who will go that extra mile, a lawyer who has made it her mission to get HIV positive widows a share in their dead husband's property, a slum dweller who has adopted an HIV positive child, when more privileged people won't even think about it. And, so many others. It is also about you. Many of you who think this happens to someone else. And take that one fatal chance. This paper is about telling you -- DON'T. Life doesn't give you a second chance.
So long, till next week-
Since then, I have met several people who are living with the HIV virus in them. There is Padmavathi, a woman full of spirit and a ready laugh, who has become my friend. She was given the virus by her husband. There is Satish, a twelve year old. He got HIV from his mother. There is Selvi, who at present is in hospital with a deadly strain of TB -- and so many more.
You will get to meet them in the pages of this paper. There are also many other stories which you will read in here. About people who have made it their mission to help HIV positive people.
A pediatrician who chooses to work in the government hospital -- to help his little patients fight death. A gynecologist who does not shy away from delivering children of positive mothers. A surgeon who has the distinction of operating on the largest number of HIV positive patients. Not many doctors treat patients who are HIV Positive.
There are others - a rare official who will go that extra mile, a lawyer who has made it her mission to get HIV positive widows a share in their dead husband's property, a slum dweller who has adopted an HIV positive child, when more privileged people won't even think about it. And, so many others. It is also about you. Many of you who think this happens to someone else. And take that one fatal chance. This paper is about telling you -- DON'T. Life doesn't give you a second chance.
So long, till next week-
