- Dr. Anne-Marie in the News
- Tsepong Journals August 09 Part 1
- Tsepong Journals August 09 Part 2
- Tšepong Journals Oct/Nov 08
- Tšepong Journals May 07
- Tšepong Journals July 06 Part 1
- Tšepong Journals July 06 Part 2
- Day Thirteen and Fourteen (July 15, 2006)
- Day Fifteen (July 17, 2006)
- Day Sixteen (July 18, 2006)
- Day Seventeen (July 19, 2006)
- Day Eighteen (July 20, 2006)
- Day Nineteen (July 21, 2006)
- Day Twenty and Twenty-One (July 22, 2006)
- Day Twenty-Two (July 24, 2006)
- Day Twenty-Three (July 25, 2006)
- Day Twenty-Four (July 26, 2006)
- Last Entry (July 27, 2006)
Day Twenty-Three (July 25, 2006)
Thabo is two years old and weighs only 10 kg. He is not walking yet which prompted HIV testing this month. He is positive.
Matiso is six years old. Her mother died of HIV, her grandmother died of HIV and now another grandmother is caring for her. She was near death herself but is responding well to ARV’s. She was too young to remember her mother’s face but insists that Paulina (one of the interpreters) looks like her mother. Paulina spends a lot of time with her. Matiso is upset that Pauline was not able to see her over the school break.
Tseko is 9 years old. He has been HIV positive since birth and weighs only 14.3 kg. He is being treated for TB and once his TB treatment is complete he will start ARV’s. His mother died in 2004 and his father is very ill. He reminds Mathebesang of her own 4 year old son who also died in 2004. She kept Tseko on her lap during the whole interview. I handed him a Masai bracelet ( Barry and the kids brought them from Canada last night). Elizabeth gave him a pair of red gloves. Last week Russell handed me a white Gund stuffed Bear. Two hundred of them were donated to Tsepong last year and only a few are left. He told me I would know which child to give it to……..Tseko got the bear too. He clutched all three, the gloves, the bracelet and the bear as if letting go might change his good fortune.
Makhunong is 10 months old. He weighed 6.3 kg 2 weeks ago when he was started on ARV’s. Today he weighs 7.3 kg. Another win. He is still very sick but he will make it. His mother wrapped him onto her back as she left. When I looked up, there he was snuggled comfortably, clutching the Masai bracelet I just gave him. A great picture.
Near the end of the day, I was in the exam room treating another HIV positive, TB infected 9 year old. From the hall outside came the sound of a squeaky toy, repeatedly being squeezed. Just a reminder of the twenty more HIV positive children waiting to be seen. Today we will see 71 in total.