Part III

Baby Clinton having a bottle on a sunny afternoon.
Sweet Bahati just chillin' in his bouncy seat!

The word positive has never before meant anything as negative as this. It is with a heavy heart that I tell you that Bahati, Clinton, and Helena’s blood tested positive for HIV. I was just holding Bahati this morning and marveling at his beautiful dimples. He is beautiful and rarely in a bad mood. He is playful and easy to love. Positive. I just can’t wrap my brain around the fact that outside of a miracle these sweet children’s lives have already been decided for them. I am trying hard not to blame their parents. One can only imagine the possible hardships they had to endure. I am upset that the consequences of their actions are being played out through the loss of their children’s innocence. They are not expected to live to see their teenage years.

Of 30 children born to HIV-positive mothers, approximately 10 will acquire the virus simply by being born. Another four will become infected from breast-feeding.

I have no doubt that they will receive excellent care at COL but what will happen to them when they are too old for it here? What will happen to them when they are three and the drugs that they used to be on are no longer working and they have to increase their cocktail of meds? What will their lives look like when they are forced to grow up in the system. Who will rock them to sleep when their bodies are failing them and they are suffering?

It is estimated that 90% of the world’s HIV-infected children live in Africa, and more than half a million die of AIDS each year.

A few weeks ago that was simply a statistic now I pray that it is not the fate of our precious babies!

Christy