Stewart 5

Yesterday, my Aunt Kat took Valrey to the ARV clinic. She had an appointment and was supposed to be assessed for receiving anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment. At this stage, she really needs this medicine to fight off illness ar her cd4 count is too low for her body to do the job.

Not surpirsingly, things did not go easily. First, the clinic didn’t have the results of her cd4 test. Without that, they can’t make a plan

for treatment. My Aunt suggested they call the local clinic where the test had been taken to have them send over the results. Well, they

didn’t have the number and were unwilling to look it up! So my Aunt called us at home and we hunted through the phone book until we go the number so they could call.

At some point, the supervisor came into the ARV clinic and recognized my Aunt from the last time they were there. She asked how

she was and my Aunt told her the situation. Somehow, they were then able to call the local clinic, have them fax over the results, and

proceed with the appointment.

The upside is that the rest of the appointment went well. Valrey was approved to receive ARV’s! She and her husband Jonas also received some good counseling. At the end, she turned to Aunt Kat and said, “it’s a good thing you were here. If you weren’t, they would have just sent us home.”

It’s sad, but she’s right. If Valrey and Jonas were there alone, and the clinic couldn’t find the results, they would have just sent them

home. It was because my Aunt was there, understands the procedures, and wouldn’t take no for an answer that they got the help they were entitled to. That’s messed up. And what about all those people who don’t have my Aunt there to fight for their rights?

I understand that the system here is overwhelmed, understaffed, and underfunded. But we’re not going to accept that as an excuse to not treat our friends and others like them.