“My name is Suzan Namirimu. My mother died when I was 7 years. At that time I was a healthy girl. Shortly after my mother’s death my aunt took me to her home. A few months later I started falling sick.
I developed sores all over my body. I couldn’t walk or sleep because of the pain. My aunt gave me herbs but these failed to heal me. She called my father for help but my father never responded. In the end my aunt gave up on me and took me to my grandmother.
Another aunt, called Cissy, came and convinced my grandmother to take me to her hospital, from where she was getting her drugs for her HIV. It was then that I discovered I was also HIV positive. When my father was told about my sickness, he hid and stopped calling on my grandmother. Due to lack of support, grandmother insisted on taking me to my father. We found him drunk, which happened every day.
By this time I was again very sick with a terrible cough, and fever and pus was always coming out of my ears. I think I was stinking because nobody wanted to come close to me, even my real father. My fellow children never wanted me to be with them, so I spent all days and nights alone and in tears. My father never took me to hospital as initially done by Aunt Cissy. The drugs I had been given were finished and the sickness worsened. When I was almost dying, my father called my maternal aunt and told her that, “Suzan, your sister’s daughter, is about to die.” Aunt Cissy ran to my rescue and started caring for me and nursing me. At that time, God sent me well wishers and my ‘saviour’, Dr William. I call him my father and he introduced me to white doctors. They started caring for me, provided me with all I need to live and now I am OK. I always take my drugs well.
I thank my sponsor, Ms Valerie, for caring for my life and giving me new life and hope for my future. Thank you so much Medcare. I love you so much. Dr. Pauline, we all love you and God bless you.”