Adam is seven years old and living with HIV. He lives with his family in a home made from cardboard boxes in a dumpsite in north Jakarta.
Adam shares the space with his ailing mother, father, and a 15-year-old sister. His father’s meagre income – from collecting used plastic bottles to sell to recyclers – must support the entire family. His mother’s health has been deteriorating recently, leaving his teenage sister as Adam’s primary caregiver.
Living with HIV means you have a weakened immune system. You are at grave risk if you develop an infection or a complication. Adam’s sister, who has had to leave school to care for him, is responsible for ensuring Adam and his mother’s daily HIV medication regimes are followed with strict discipline to avoid infections or complications. Whenever medication runs low, or when infections and complications mean they must go to hospital, Adam’s father struggles to gather the money. Transportation costs for Adam to get to the hospital often mean that the family will have to go without meals for a few days.
But thanks to the generosity of Rachel House supporters, Adam and his family can now to turn to our “Food and Transport Fund”. The Fund supports patients’ transportation and food expenses during their visits to the hospital. Adam’s father is grateful for this financial support; it offers him the peace of mind that his son is now able to access hospital care when needed. “It is a relief to know that my children can now safely get to the hospital for Adam to get the care he needs, and for me to know that they will not have to go hungry while at the hospital. I am thankful for the help given to support my family.”
Allowing Adam to get the care and medication he needs at the hospital, without his family having to go hungry for days on end, is making a life-changing difference, for Adam and his entire family.
Our mission is for an Indonesia where no family has to choose between getting their child to the hospital and putting food on the table.
Will you help us support more children living with serious illnesses, and their families, to live pain-free and with joy? Donate here.