BBC News - Thursday, 22 August, 2002

Last year we met a 13-year-old girl named Suwilanji Nachiwezya. She is now like a daughter to us.

Her parents both died of HIV and Su was unfortunately born with the disease, passed on through her mother's pregnancy.

She is a wonderful girl who spends most weekends with us at our guest house in Kitwe.

We try to help by feeding her good food and helping with medical care when we can. As much as we'd like to, we can't adopt her.

Su lives with an aunt, who is a widow and can only earn enough to keep a roof over their heads and provide very basic meals. One meal a day is the norm for this family, rarely with meat or fish - it usually consists of mealie meal and vegetables, or a dish of beans.

'A lovely girl'

We met our little Zambian friend through an Oxfam Conference on HIV which was held at our guesthouse last November.

As part of the itinerary, the doctors who attended the conference visited Kitwe Central Hospital and met Su, who was an in-patient. She was very sick at that time and they decided, as individuals, each to donate some money to provide her with a nourishing meal each day.

Oxfam asked us to cook the meals and said they would deliver them.

When their schedules became too busy, they asked us to take over the delivery which we do every day, Monday to Friday.

When we met Su, we couldn't help but like her. We've become very attached to her and we've taught her to swim and play on the computer. She is a very intelligent girl and works hard at school.

Desperate plight

Su started to develop head sores around Christmas and nobody seemed interested in helping her.

There is much poverty here and her aunt didn't have the funds to support the medical treatment she required.

So we took Su to our own doctor who agreed to give his consultations free of charge and bill us for the medication. The antibiotics worked for a few weeks, but then the sores returned.

A couple of months ago, the doctor told us that she needs to go on to antiretroviral drugs, or ARVs. If she starts this treatment, she has to continue for the rest of her life, which the doctor says could be a long and happy one.

But these life-giving drugs cost at least £100 a month. We are making every attempt possible out here to raise the funding for these drugs, but it's very difficult because this country is suffering from famine and recession.

Hope for future

Meanwhile her condition worsens by the day. She came down with malaria earlier this month. OK, we're all at risk of contracting malaria here, but Su's resistance is so low she picks up everything that's around.

Su would dearly love to become a doctor, but sadly that dream may never come true. There's so much poverty here that even the brightest children may not be able to afford to go to medical school.

Should she get a chance to mature, Su would make a good Aids councillor and so help others who, through no fault of their own, have been born with this disease.

020822
BB020817

Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2002. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.

AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.

Copyright ©1980, 2002. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content.