The boy in the photo below is the youngest at HOCET, He is 9 years old and his name is Victor. Victor is HIV+ and was brought to HOCET by his older brother, currently a student at our Secondary School. 

I was informed recently that Victor's CD4 (T-cell) count dropped from 1396 to 821 in 5 months. The average + adult in the U.S., when left untreated, might drop in cells 50-100 in a year and Victors shed almost 6x as many in less than half that time. Certainly the system of care for him - just a matter of ensuring he takes his pill on time twice a day - broke down completely. Since finding out I've been on a tear getting information, talking about it, fuming about it, conferencing about it and trying to ensure this never happens again while acknowledging that, for the last 3 years, the system was working very well, this is actually a small dip in an otherwise elevated level of attention afforded one boy of 100. 

...but still, he can't afford slips and so I'm going to the hospital a second time to accompany him on a regular appointment. I have a list of questions for the doctor and hope I have all the right ones and that I take the right notes. It will be the first time an adult will have spoken directly with Victor's doctor (normally his 20 year old brother has made sure to be in town from the school to go with him - something that was disrupted when he broke his leg and had to have it re-broken when it healed incorrectly). 

It's late and, since care is first-come - first-served, we've got to leave very early in the morning to get an early number. Victor, by the way, is fine. He wasn't taking his pill regularly and, because he became confused, was taking a double dose each time which, actually, made him feel miserable; he's actually happier now that I've straightened out the meds schedule again. 

Next on the list surrounding this issue: How to help the brother connect with someone to explain to Victor why he has to keep taking these meds when no other kid must. 

~A