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Benificiary Testimonial
My name is Malathi. I discontinued my studies after 11 th standard. Shortly afterwards I got married. My husband worked on and off.
My life was normal, with hopes and dreams like any other married girl’s life, till the day fate dealt me a deathly blow. I conceived and during my routine checkup the doctor at a private hospital prescribed the HIV test. Along with the test results, came the shocking revelation that turned my life upside down. My husband revealed that I was HIV positive.
Initially I was too dazed and shocked to react. Slowly as the truth sank in I became angry and confused. Two questions plagued me: Why did I get HIV and how did I get it? I had no answers. The doctor who was taking care of me for my pregnancy bluntly advised me to go a Government hospital for further treatment. When questioned she replied that she would lose her regular clientele if they come to know about my HIV status.
There was nothing I could do in the face of such rejection. Dejected, I dragged myself to a Government hospital. I was subjected to more insults and humiliation. The doctor in charge rudely abused me and accused me of indecent behavior, because of which I contacted the dreaded virus. My in–laws disowned me and blamed me for my husband’s condition. I was so overcome by shame and humiliation that I contemplated suicide many times. Life came to a standstill.
It was the worst time of my life - dark and uncertain. The future looked bleak, with no hope, no livelihood. Luckily, my family rallied around me, was very supportive and took me in.
It was around this time that I confronted my husband, who finally confessed that he was responsible for my status, and that he too was HIV positive. Both of us were losing weight and becoming physically weak day by day. After scouting around, we found a doctor in a private hospital who took up our cases and counseled us about how to take care of our unborn baby growing inside me and ourselves, through proper medication and diet.
My condition improved a little. Unfortunately, my husband had already contracted opportunistic diseases due to sheer negligence and ignorance. It was too late to save him and he died shortly after my baby was born – a girl child. Fortunately, the timely precautions the doctor took at the time of delivery ensured that my baby was free from the virus.
The silver lining in my life turned out to be my baby and she was instrumental in turning around my thinking from negative to positive. I did not want my child to be an orphan. My resolve to live for my baby strengthened day by day. I started taking care of myself and diligently took the medication regularly and improved my diet intake. During this time I did a lot of introspection, mentally reliving the harrowing experiences I had, the humiliation and discrimination I faced. I was determined to do something about the situation.
I started networking with organizations working in the HIV/AIDS area. Through one such organization I came to know about Satyam Foundation and the IT school they run for People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA).
I joined the school and was trained in Information Technology, soft skills and Spoken English for three months. At the end of the training, I was confident for the first time in life that I would be able to take care of my child and myself.
Today I work for an organization working with People Living with HIV/AIDS, giving them emotional support, counseling and encouraging them to live a normal life.
I found new meaning in my life, working for fellow PLHAs. Though I know that I will not be cured of the virus, with due care and proper medication, I will be able to live longer and see my child grow. My child is healthy, free of the HIV virus and is going to school.
Thanks to Satyam Foundation for helping me reclaim my life.
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