24 HOURS WITH AN HIV+ BABY

Had an adventure last week that is still lingering. On Tuesday I ventured out for an appointment and was stopped by a large crowd gathered around a woman lying on the ground flailing and moaning. Then I saw another crowd swarmed around a small child who they were trying to feed a cup of milk and some bread. I spotted someone I knew and asked what was going on and he said the mother was very sick and also "crazy" (they don't use politically correct terms for mental illness here). "The baby needs to go to orphan house! Do you know where it is?" I said, "yes...let me call someone" and went to work. I have these contacts already, as we have been working on making connections so maybe in the future our organization can place a few children, mostly focused on older children and sibling groups. The official told me since she was just up the road, why don't I just take her home to my house, and he will work on something for her in the meantime. I gathered enough info to know she had other family members, and they should be reunited, but her family came from a village outside of town and nobody knew what was happening. We sent a messenger to the village for the extended family, and got a car to take the mother to the hospital, and off I headed to my house (1 block away) with this frail little tiny thing that I thought was a boy, but later discovered was a girl. As I carried her away, it sunk in how really vulnerable these children are...this crowd didn't know me for Adam, but they just handed this child to me and let me walk off with her in my arms. She was almost asleep by the time we got home and our househelper and I gave her a quick shower and washed her up and then slipped on one of Nati's t-shirts and some spare diapers I had around. She knew how to stand and toddle, and had 4 teeth, so I put her at around 12 months. Then she asked for water, which made me bump her up about another 4 months in age. She was asleep in my arms within a half hour. We had given my phone number to the police handling the situation, so we hoped for a good resolution. Of course, my dear sweet husband had quite a shock when he arrived home that evening from work. Thankfully, he took a deep breath and paused and went upstairs to change before coming back down and asking, "who is she and why exactly is she here?" With my social work boundaries, I know better than to do what I had just done...but then I couldn't just leave her there hungry and without anyone! Anyway, it was a long evening as she ate well, but wouldn't leave my lap or my hip, and she slept on a mattress at the foot of our bed, up about 5 times crying. The next morning her aunt and uncle arrived from the countryside, but said they didn't want to take her, they just wanted her to go to an orphan house. I pleaded with them that she has a brother and a sister and should be with them, but they said they would discuss and would return later. Meanwhile, I headed to the private clinic near our home to have her examined. She was raspy in her chest and had conjunctivitis and I wanted her to have a good once-over. Since I knew this was a child who might likely need alternative care, I went ahead and requested HIV and Hep B testing. Unfortunately for this little angel, she was HIV positive. Because we don't know her exact age, the doctor said, and because this is not an accurate test in children under 18 months of age born to HIV+ mothers, we cannot say for sure if she is positive. I was just sick for this little gal. So young, so innocent, so in need of everything that a child deserves....but now with this possible diagnosis. Her grandfather was waiting at my house and again said he just wanted her to stay with me. I explained that wasn't an option and she would have to go to a care home, but there is only one in town that might take a child who is HIV+. He agreed to take her there, and I sadly handed her over. I went inside and cried over the injustices in life.

I know God is sovereign over this little girl's life and over her mother's. I also know that statistics say 30,000 HIV+ infants are born in Ethiopia every year. But this was the first little statistic that I had met and held and loved. I'm still not the same, and really, I hope I never am. One of the difficult things I've mentioned about living here is seeing all the service gaps - and some HUGE ones came glaring through in this situation. Still working on this situation, and hoping we can help put all the right pieces together with mother and family and possible care homes, but I'm also hoping for a better future for all these little angels who are victim to HIV. They deserve to live and grow and hope and dream so they can realize all that God has planned for them. Praying the Lord fills in these gaps in His timing and in His way!