Keep a Child Alive

Day 16 - Patra : Abandoned at Birth

Meet Patra: A beautiful baby girl from Kampala, Uganda. When Patra was born, she was abandoned and left outside of a local hospital. Severely malnourished and suffering from a fungal infection, she was brought to Alive Medical Services in December of 2010, when she was just eight months old. Weighing barely ten pounds and visibly sick, Patra’s condition was extremely dire. She tested positive for HIV, and doctors at AMS immediately placed her on anti-retroviral treatment.

In January of this year, doctors were concerned when Patra developed a cough and fever. They soon discovered that she had contracted tuberculosis, another deadly illness that plagues the African continent. HIV and tuberculosis are a lethal combination and tuberculosis is the leading cause of death among people who are HIV-positive.

Fearing for Patra’s survival, AMS amended her treatment program in an effort to fight both viruses simultaneously. Miraculously, and to the relief and joy of the entire AMS staff, Patra persevered and responded well to treatment. Today she weighs 17 pounds and her fungal infection, cough and fever have disappeared. AMS says that she “has a good appetite, is very active and jolly.”

Patra, having been restored to health, is now living in the Malaika Babies Home – a temporary shelter for abandoned or vulnerable children. In addition to receiving medical care from AMS, Patra is also a beneficiary of the AMS Nutritional Program.  It is the treatment and food that Patra is receiving from AMS that has allowed her to defy the odds and flourish into the beautiful little girl she is today. And it is stories like that of Patra’s that never cease to inspire and motivate us at Keep a Child Alive.

Patra’s story is another reason why we do what we do at Keep a Child Alive. Text BUYLIFE to 90999 to give $10 to help us continue these daily inspirational stories of hope, love and strength.

See all of our Daily Inspirations.