Keep a Child Alive

Day 27 - Santosh: Getting Stronger Every Day

Just under a year ago, three-year-old Santosh came to the Living India Home of Hope in Chandrakal.  He was frail, under-nourished and severely under-weight.  His physical and emotional health was poor, with a low T-cell count and a pure disinterest in engaging with the other children in the home.  He would walk around with his head held down, shuffling his feet.  Santosh is like many HIV+ children in India, exposed to such extreme neglect and trauma, that they do not know how to emotionally connect with others.

With each new day at the Home of Hope, he became stronger and more alert, and over time he began to take longer strides, and hold his head up when walking across his new Home.  He has learned that he is a part of a new family, one that loves and cares for him. He sits on the sidelines while the other boys play soccer waiting patiently until one of the older boys reaches out and welcomes him into the game. He is still grappling with the “no hands” concept, but the others encourage him to play just the same. he loves to play with one of the older children, Raj Kumar, who sits with him at every meal and takes his hand whenever all the children go out to play.  And when the children travel to Hyderabad every month to visit the doctor and receive their ARVs, Santosh is a permanent fixture next to his new brother Banu on the bus trek to the city.

Keep a Child Alive is proud to support the work of the Living India Home of Hope, whose passionate and committed caretakers have helped transform Santosh’s fragility completely into vitality. His health has stabilized and he is attending school and learning how to read and write in his native language, Telugu.

Santosh and the 59 other children in Living India’s care are 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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