HIV people often have to face discrimination from the society
Picture used for representational purpose. (Photo: PTI/File)
Bengaluru: Dhanush (name changed for privacy) was 14 years old when he was invited to make an address on ‘living with AIDS’ at the International Aids Conference in Melbourne, Australia. There, he won his audiences over with a single line that captured a lifetime of dealing with prejudice and injustice for no fault of his own, “I am not afraid of HIV anymore.”
Dhanush, who comes from Anekal, was born with HIV. His father died when he was still a baby and he lost his mother not long afterward. Orphaned and HIV positive, Dhanush was sent to relatives whose only interest in him was the property he had inherited from his parents.
He found himself emotionally tormented by his relatives, who alienated him from the rest of the household, even forcing him to eat all his meals alone. Eager to rid themselves of this 'burden', they handed him over to a Community Care Center run by Snehadhaan, a school for HIV positive children. He was eight years old at the time.
Having accepted discrimination as the norm, Dhanush dreaded the prospect of his new life, afraid of dealing with rejection once more. "I made friends at Snehadhaan, though, who gave me confidence at a time when I would go to sleep not knowing if I would wake up in the morning."
He worked relentlessly at building his own motivation to live, rose to the top of his class and even began organizing events for the school. As nations across the globe celebrate World Aids Day with the grandiose claim that they have stopped the spread of the greatest killer in modern times and congratulate themselves on having spread awareness about the disease, reality remains starkly different. Children with HIV are forced to live with a stigma that is no fault of their own, their lives are defined by fear and utter bewilderment in the face of complete injustice.
Dhanush’s life will continue to be a struggle for survival, one in which he cannot afford to take even a single moment for granted. Despite these overwhelming odds, however, he has decided to dedicate himself to other sick children. “I want to work with kids suffering from any kind of illness,” he said, “whether it is physical or emotional.
( Source : dc )
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