When Oy lost his mother to AIDS, he was taken to a temple hospice by his father, who was also dying from the disease and unable to care for him. He was eventually brought to BaanGerda in a very serious condition - his CD4 count was just 1% and his weight at 4 years of age, a measly six kilos. He was suffering from TB, oral candidiasis, bad diarrhea and frequent vomiting.
Worse still, Oy had given up on life. He was emotionally disturbed and unable to communicate. Even after 6 months of treatment, his condition had barely improved and CD4 count remained the same. We were very concerned. Suddenly, after about 8 months he began to fight and put on weight. He smiled for the first time and his progress since then has been steady. Although he is a loner, Oy happily plays like any normal child and we are confident he will continue to develop emotionally and physically.