Jeremiah's Story...

This is Jeremiah’s story as told by his grandfather...

My daughter, Jeremiah’s mother, ran away from home and went to Kampala when she was still a young girl of 16 years. After two years, she was brought back critically ill and pregnant. We started nursing her. After four months, she gave birth to Jeremiah when alone at home as we had gone out to work. It was too much!  If we had known, we would have arranged a traditional birth attendant for her, even though we are poor.

Ten days after Jeremiah’s birth, his mother died. After her death, I faced another challenge - of feeding her son. I had no money to buy him milk or any other feeds. Within three weeks he became sick. I took him to Bukulula health centre where he was tested and found to be HIV positive. This is when I learnt that my daughter had died of AIDS. Jeremiah started slowly wasting even though he had been initiated onto ARVs. The time came, when I felt I could do nothing to save his life. I started waiting for the day when he would take his last breath!

I am a Christian and I believe in God. My belief was strengthened when God brought people I did not know to help save Jeremiah’s life. William and someone from Bukulula, came to my home and told me that Wellspring was ready and willing to fight for my grandson’s life. They told us that the boy needed to be taken to Kitovu hospital for nutrition. On that very day, my wife, Jeremiah’s step grandmother, took him, with the help of Wellspring, to Kitovu Hospital. After one month of good feeding and treatment, Jeremiah came back to life.

Wellspring had helped to give me back my grandson and they are still helping today. Now he has grown into a fine nice young boy whom you would never know suffers from AIDS. My sincere thanks go to Wellspring, its staff, and UK sponsors, for the good care and love they provide for our children. They haven’t just helped Jeremiah but very many other children also. When we meet at the medical centre every month, you see all the children are very happy. God Bless all those who give us their money to save our children’s lives."

Yours faithfully, Wokooyera Remegio (Jeremiah’s grandfather)