HIV+ youth’s last wish not fulfilled

[Guest guest]

HIV+ youth's last wish not fulfilled

Aditi Tandon,Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 16

Before breathing his last this morning, Raj Kumar made one final

wish. He yearned for someone from his estranged family to hold his

hands, embrace him for once and spare some money and time for his

cremation.

But his death wish was not to be granted. When the 28-year-old HIV +

youth died today, he had by his side none other than his wife

Shanti, also HIV +, and two children, too young to understand the

implications of the tragedy.

It was only after several frantic calls by volunteers of the Family

Planning Association of India's (FPAI) Panchkula branch that Raj

Kumar's brothers turned up at the cremation for a mere formality.

They did not spend any money on their brother's funeral. Instead

they expressed their inability to support his family. One of them

had this to say on his death: " Hum apna ghar dekh len to hi bahut

hai… " (We are barely providing for our families).

For Shanti, Raj Kumar's better half, the moment was one of trial.

Since the time he passed away, she has fainted six times. Barely

managing to hold her tears back, Shanti sought solace in her

husband's memories.

" He died longing for familial love. His brothers abandoned him 10

years ago and never cared to find out if he was alive.

When they turned him out of the house in Karnal, he was only a drug

addict. He was not even infected. He contracted the infection much

later when he came to Chandigarh in search of a job. "

With nowhere to go, Shanti has now fallen under the care of FPAI,

which has already accommodated her as a peer educator in one of

their targeted intervention projects to counter HIV/AIDS in the

region. Earlier, Raj Kumar was also offered the same job for some

time but he could not carry on due to his deteriorating health.

It was about four months ago that Raj Kumar, a habitual intra-venous

drug user, came to FPAI to seek its counsel. Ashwani, a volunteer

who was in constant touch with Raj Kumar says, " He wanted to

determine his status. We were also apprehensive as he was coughing a

lot. When we traced his history, we found that he had been using

syringes for drug use for 10 years. He had also been sharing his

syringes. He tested positive for TB and finally for HIV. "

After finding out his status, Raj Kumar got his wife examined. To

his distress, she also tested positive. Ashwani recalls, " Raj Kumar

was heartbroken that day. He asked me to get his children tested.

Although the elder of his sons is not positive, the younger one is

vulnerable as he had long been consuming mother's milk.

We have now told Shanti to boil the breast milk before giving it to

the child. At high temperature, the virus gets killed. " For the

volunteers of FPAI, caring for Shanti's health is priority number 1.

She is on medication although not on anti-retro viral therapy.

Soon she will have to be put on one while her children will have to

be prepared for a life loaded with challenges.

The elder one will start taking his first lessons at school shortly.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2006/20060517/cth1.htm#6