Story of a HIV-Positive Tibetan mother
Photo Courtesy: Tibet Sun
“Society’s attitude and the hostility is far more challenging than the disease itself,” Ama Jigmey told Tenzin Namdul who shared her story on Tibetsun.com
She was diagnosed with HIV-Positive in 1997, ten days after giving birth to her daughter, who fortunately was free of HIV. Her husband died later that year.
Thereafter, she lost her job as her co-workers felt “uncomfortable working with her.” To support her family, she started a restaurant which also had to be shut down because somebody thought “she might spread HIV around.”
Despite going through so much, she not only overcame her own challenges but dedicated herself to help other Tibetans Living with HIV/AIDS (TLHV)
Seeing the need for a community Centre for TLHV but unsuccessful in getting help from anywhere, she submitted a request to His Holiness the Dalai Lama through His office, Ganden Phodrang. The office has accepted to support the project.
“I don’t want other HIV victims to wait for ten years, like me, to get access to treatment,” Ama Jigmey is quoted in the article by Tenzin Namdul.