SHE BATTLES HIV AND SICKLE CELL

I grew up in a middle income family, we were not rich but we had a loving and providing mother. During my primary school education I faced a lot of stigma from fellow pupils. Most of them never wanted to share a bench with me because of my yellow eyes. I was bullied because I was weak and small, I never knew how to explain to them that sickle cell wasn’t contagious and i can’t harm them.

Headmaster came in and had to explain to them about my condition and that’s when I started to have friends.When I joined secondary school things became so hard because I experienced monthly pain crisis due to menstrual periods which led to too much absenteeism in class.

I spent most of the time being admitted in hospital and i got so tired of being alive. Regardless of the negative thoughts from the family members, mom never got discouraged of paying my school fees.I got self stigma and a problem to my family.

A certain family member told mommy to stop paying school fees for me because it was a wastage of money but my mom never listened to her. My mom was so caring, loving and supporting that gave me hope to keep fighting.

In 2010 my mom died and that’s when life became so unbearable because i had to drop out from school and jiggle two jobs in order to send my siblings to school. I got depression, stress, fatigue and i got addicted to tramadol capsules, time came when i had to take 10 capsules in order to keep active at work.

When my siblings graduated,Ii felt so relieved and i felt i needed to rest. I got an idea for suicide so I decided to over dose with tramadol capsules. All I wanted was to rest in peace and to be pain free but my sister saved me from dying by rushing me to hospital. When I was discharged I started to plan for my second suicide but before I could do it, my sister came and told me she was pregnant.

I had to forget about suicide because i had to take care of my sister. She was 15 years and pregnant so she needed a lot of support from me. She gave birth in 2013 to a beautiful baby boy. In 2014 I was raped and infected with HIV and that’s when i felt so unlucky.

With the help of a good friend, I managed to decrease on taking much tramadol to taking two capsules which I take per now and a counselling made me to come to terms with my self. In 2015 I went back to school with the help of two great women who paid for my tuition and requirements.

I graduated in HIV/AIDs management and counseling. Am not employed per now but am grateful for my life and I take one day at a time. I wish I could go back to upgrade in counseling but can’t afford it. Am so proud of myself regardless of the challenges I face.

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