Help Destitute Moms with AIDS Care for Their Kids

A recurring theme in our updates for this program is how we  function  as the " family for the family" . In simple terms, it means that we are there to lend  moral support and guidance for our families. Many of the mothers in our program are illiterate or have minimal literacy. These moms , while loving to their children , are not sophisticated and often not really capable of identifying or evaluating complex situations and resources.

One such family, has been with us for more than 10 years. Ms. S, now age 20  and her family came to us when Ms. S was just a yound child and her father was dying of AIDS. The entire family is HIV positive  . Sadly, Ms. S's father passed away, but since that time  S, her mother and her younger sister have all been in our program.  Both mother and sister have been seriously ill at times over the years, although both are currently stable. S, has taken antiretroviral medications and tolerated them well over the years and  has remained well, until about a year ago.

S completed highschool with high marks, in the top 3  of her class and dreamed of being a doctor. After much discussion, her mother felt that she probably could not manage the stresses and strains of such a long education and that in the end, in Cambodia, where there is still great prejudice against AIDs, felt that no one would want to be treated or see  by a doctor who was HIV positive , so S set her sights on trying to attend local college and get a business degree.

After completeing 2 years of her program she fell ill, developing numbness in one arm which soon led to complete loss of use in her dominant hand and arm.  Doctors in Cambodia were baffled and told us to take her to Bangkok for diagnosis and advised us that unless we did this, she could permanently loose use of her arm.  We arranged for the 11 hour bus ride to Bangkok accompanied by an aunt and uncle who could speak some english. The bus ride was a small fraction of the cost of a plane ticket  .  We then made arrangements with one of our kind Thai friends to coordinate doctor and hospital appointments , accompany the family, arrange for inexpensive lodging and everything else.

Tests were performed   but were inconclusive.Treatment was prescribed with an uncertain view as to outcome.  S returned to Cambodia where her continued to deteriorate to where she was confined to bed at home in their tiny rooms ,with vomitting and extreme weekness, unable to stand without assistance. Although we feared she could die, she did not.   S  is a fighter and she held in .  Some weeks later we again arranged for another 11 hour ( one way !) trip to Bangkok  for more appointments for an MRI and meeting with a neurosurgeon  made a tentative diagnosis that there was inflammation around a tumor  but that without biopsy there could not be a firm diagnosis but the doctor felt  that  it looked like a type of central nervous system lymphoma and that a combination of chemotherapy and radiation might be the best treatment.There was no money for a biopsy and the family feared possible damage from such a procedure, so biopsy was ruled out and  the doctor  suggested a regime of other medications and a watch and wait position. And S returned to Cambodia.

The good news is that S has since  improved but the future remains unclear. She is determined to return to try to finish her degree, and  her strong will and positive attitude are something to marvel as we all hope for a miracle.

One thing is certain, without the support of Ms. S's " extended family" it is quite likely that we simply would have lost her. We  are hopeful that Ms. S will return to full health and return to her studies.

You, our donors, are also a part of the " family for the family" .Over the many years we have had  situations where on a wing and a prayer , with scarce resources, we have been able to pull   together resources to help our families navigate complex resources and solutions. We are grateful for your continued support .

Barbara & Mark Rosasco