Jenny’s Story, Part 1

I am the mother of three HIV+ girls adopted from Africa. All three lost their birth mothers in their first year of life, which I’m told is common. Pregnancy and breastfeeding take such a toll on the positive mother, that they often do not make it to their baby’s first birthday. Handed from one family member to another or taken to a local hospital wearing only a small t-shirt and a diaper, they found their way into orphanage care. I know little about their early experiences, except that they did not get the nurturing that all children need to develop healthy minds. One of my girls bears strange scars across her back and hairline. I’ve heard some communities throw boiling water or oil on children who are thought to carry the virus, and I wonder if that is part of her story.

Story will continue on Thursday.