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Dinesh
is an eight-year-old boy who is HIV-positive. Both his
parents died from AIDS-related diseases almost two years
ago. His baby brother also has passed away, probably from
the same disease. Dinesh and his five brothers and sisters
were living in their family's home, but when the walls
of the small mud-and-bamboo house began to cave in, the
orphans had to move to their uncle's house. However, the
uncle and his wife, already struggling to support their
own children, did not provide the children with emotional
or economic support. Jayshree, Dinesh's 14-year old sister
and the head of the family, took in washing daily in order
to earn a meager 200 rupees per month, with which she
struggled to feed, clothe and school the other children.
The family's dire situation came
to the attention of Prasad Chikitsa supporters who generously
rallied to provide financial and medical assistance
for the children. When the Prasad Chikitsa team first
met Dinesh on the Muktananda Mobile Hospital several
years ago, he was emotionally shut down. At that time,
his father was in the Tuberculosis Program, and four-year-old
Dinesh was being treated for tuberculosis. He rarely
smiled or talked and did not like any physical contact.
Recently, however, a beautiful transformation is taking
place in Dinesh. He is opening up to love and now smiles
and speaks to the Prasad staff, climbing readily onto
their laps. When two Prasad Chikitsa volunteers visited
Dinesh and his siblings in their village, Dinesh's uncle
watched how they interacted with the children. He said:
"You Prasad Chikitsa people give these children
so much love and you are not even family members. This
has shown me that I too should give love and care to
these children."
In fall of 2002, Dinesh was
admitted to a government hospital in Mumbai, because
he was losing weight and suffering from intermittent
fevers.
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(Since he is an orphan, the
visit was free.) He stayed there for two weeks, accompanied
by his sister, Jayshree, and began a course of tuberculosis
medication. He could not start anti-retroviral drugs
until he finished the tuberculosis treatment, which
takes at least six months. Once he starts to take the
anti-retroviral drugs, he will stay on them for the
rest of his life.
In December 2002, Marie Elrington,
the nurse at Prasad Chikitsa, took Dinesh back to Mumbai
for a follow-up visit. He sat on her lap during the
entire ride there and back. He fully trusts her and
holds her hand wherever they go. Dinesh's health has
improved remarkably. He has gained four kilograms (8.8
pounds), and his white blood cell count is at very good
levels, indicating that his immune system is strong.
The doctors are happy with his progress and will see
him again in March 2003. In the meantime, Prasad Chikitsa
will continue to supply him with vitamins, milk, protein
supplements and tuberculosis medication, as well as
a medicine he takes every other day to ward off opportunistic
infections.
As for Dinesh's eldest sister, Jayshree,
Prasad Chikitsa brought her a sewing machine in December.
She is very interesting in tailoring, and Prasad Chikitsa
is sponsoring her in a six-month class. A good tailor
can earn 150 rupees in one day making a punjabi and
pants-much more than she currently earns washing clothes.
In the future, Jayshree can be financially independent
and support herself and her siblings by making and selling
clothes. Dinesh's family's story demonstrates how, in
the midst of a devastating epidemic, Prasad Chikitsa
brings light and hope to communities — one child,
one family at a time.
Click here for more information
on Preventative
and Village Health Care.
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