As a medical student, I have
learned about the health impact of HIV/AIDS for the individual patient. I have
learned about the anticipated disease course, treatment regimens, preventative
measures, and support groups for patients and their families. In the United
States, an HIV diagnosis has a troubling prognosis but has improved greatly in
the last three decades since the disease emerged. The medical research
community may be years away from a vaccine or cure, but HIV may be considered a
chronic condition in some patients. However, the impact of HIV/AIDS on any
individual, regardless of country or wealth is tangible and dramatic.
HIV/AIDS has dramatically changed
the landscape and culture of Lesotho. In a country of 1.8 million, there are an
estimated 160,000 orphans and vulnerable children. The impact is noticeable in
every village, despite improvements in detection and treatment. The need for
change and improvement is apparent. The problem-solving (and public health)
part of my brain wants to assess communities and villages, design programs in
collaboration with the villages, and record results and improvements in the
outcomes for these orphans to celebrate their successes. However, my motivation
and passion to improve the lives of Basotho children is not driven by the
analytical part of my brain. My motivation and passion comes from my heart and
a promise to a young mother in Lesotho in 2009.
On my second trip to Lesotho in
2009, a brief conversation with a young mother changed my life forever. We were
at the Baylor Pediatric Centre of Excellence, a treatment facility for HIV
positive children, to play and interact with the children while they waited for
their appointments at the clinic. It was relatively quiet near the water tap
and I was taking a moment to enjoy the smiles and laughter around me. The
mother approached me with her youngest child on her back, secured by a Basotho
blanket. We exchanged greetings and I explained why we were at the clinic. Then
she asked me one of the hardest questions I’ve ever had to answer, “Will you
take my child back to the United States? I’m HIV positive and I can’t take care
of her.” I fumbled over my words and held back tears as I tried to explain that
I couldn’t take her child. A laundry list of reasons and excuses ran through my
head, but they all seemed insufficient. So in that moment, I did the only thing
that seemed to do justice to the young mother’s request. I promised that I
would finish my education and work as hard as I could to improve the lives of
Basotho orphans and vulnerable children. I could not make an individual promise
to the young mother and her children, but I could promise to never forget her
children or her country. It wasn’t enough for her that day, but it is the best
I could do.
Every morning I am reminded of her
face as she made such a challenging request and I work tirelessly to fulfill my
promise to her. I have a few more years of medical school ahead of me, but I am
able to work on my promise by volunteering with Bloom Africa. Bloom Africa has
allowed me to accomplish more than I ever could as an individual, a true
example of Ubuntu. “You cannot do all
the good the world needs, but the world needs all the good you can do”
(Anonymous).
Khotso & Lerato (Peace & Love),
Betty
Betty Cheney currently serves as the Secretary of the Bloom Africa Board of Directors. She is a medical student at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio.
