Mary is a 38 year-old woman with HIV who left her husband when he refused to be tested. She has two teenage boys, each at the top of his class. She presented to Kijabe Hospital after months of painful swallowing and weight loss. She obtained a CD4 count in Nairobi; the value was 60, indicating advanced AIDS. She had sought treatment for her swallowing difficulties elsewhere, without relief, and came to Kijabe very suspicious of physicians.

After treatment for esophageal candidiasis, Mary started nevirapine, stavudine, and lamivudine. At first, she was paying the majority of the cost, but over time she has required more assistance from the Kijabe HIV Patient Fund. She has now been on ART for over three years and has gained almost 40 pounds. She has had no further HIV complications. She continues to work and to send her children to school.

Margaret came to Kijabe Hospital when she was 17 weeks pregnant and very wasted from HIV (see picture).

She also had tuberculosis. She spent a month in the hospital and started antiretroviral medicines. She would eventually give birth to a baby son, whom she named Fielder after her doctor.

Margaret is now healthy and her son is HIV-negative (see picture).

Josphat and Elizabeth are both HIV-positive, as is their five year-old son. Elizabeth started receiving care and antiretroviral drugs from Kijabe when she was pregnant. She later delivered a healthy baby girl. Because Elizabeth was able to control the HIV virus by using her medicines correctly, her baby girl is HIV-negative.

Josphat is leader of the local support group and Elizabeth provides home-based care and adherence counseling to her fellow patients.

Now, replicate these stories 2000 times and you are able to see the life transforming effect of the HIV care program at Kijabe Hospital.