Keep a Child Alive

Day 25 - Pasha: Finding Unconditional Love

When Pasha was only four years old, his father, an abusive alcoholic, died of AIDS.  After his death, Pasha and his mother were living with his uncle when she tested positive for HIV. When her status was revealed to the family, Pasha’s mother was confined to a single room in the neighborhood in an attempt to keep her illness “contained.” It was during this time that Pasha also fell ill and tested positive for HIV.

Family members reacted by throwing their belongings on the street, refusing to feed them and abandoning a penniless widow and her son in hopes that they would die and leave them in peace. In June of last year, Pasha’s mother passed away from AIDS.
   
Village leaders decided that it was Pasha’s uncle’s responsibility to care for the newly orphaned HIV+ child.  But Pasha’s uncle was unwilling to take him on, and so Pasha came to the Sahara Aalhad Care Home.  The underserved HIV+ population in Pune, India relies on Sahara for medicine, surrounding care, HIV/AIDS education, advocacy and support.  Keep a Child Alive supports Sahara’s efforts to assist HIV-infected people who have little to no access to treatment and nowhere to turn in the face of poverty, stigma and discrimination.

Upon arrival to Sahara, Pasha was immediately admitted to the Care Home.  Pasha’s health had deteriorated, and the doctors at Sahara initiated him on anti-retroviral treatment right away.  To everyone’s amazement, his condition improved rapidly.
   
Not only has his health improved, little Pasha is renewed with a love for life.  He has made friends at the home and is being treated for the trauma that he experienced through art therapy and regular visits with a psychologist. Today, life is full of fun and excitement for Pasha - he plays cricket with the other boys in the evening and is eager to begin school this summer. For the first time, Pasha is experiencing the unconditional love of a family, without fear of future abandonment.

Pasha is one of the many reasons why we do what we do at Keep a Child Alive. Text BUYLIFE to 90999 to give $10 to help us continue these inspirational stories of hope, love and strength.

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