Currently, there are thousands of babies born with HIV in Nigeria, especially those in the remote areas like Idu Uruan in Akwa-Ibom State, where the mothers have no access to medical attention to prevent the virus from getting to them.
Emediong John Paul is one of those rare children to survive the attack that comes with HIV in children.
Before CYEN arrested the situation, Emediong was sick, malnourished, stigmatized and almost left to die.
According to her guardian Mrs. Grace Matthew Eneyo her grandmother’s sister, she said there was a time Emediong couldn’t control the way she passed out waste, her feet were swollen, she couldn’t walk, a child of 3 years!
Emediong’s mother died when she was barely a year old and had transferred the virus down via breast milk, the child became sick shortly after the mother died, people around couldn’t take care of her anymore because she was no longer responding to the local treatment she was given.
News of her situation reached CYEN and she was immediately fetched and attended to. The doctor said her condition was critical, and if nothing was done, she would die!
In Mrs. Grace’s words smiling “CYEN came and lifted a heavy burden off me, they provided everything for the child to survive,” The child is better, in school and competing with peers.
Concerning stigma, she said often times people had asked her to let the child die, but she kept faith alive believing the child will someday live like every other child.