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Success Stories - Amy's Story

Five-year-old Amy is a little angel and she was quickly chosen by an adoptive family. Soon afterwards, they had her tested for HIV, and she tested positive. Although they were heartbroken, the family returned her--they had wanted to adopt a healthy child.

Amy is a little miracle. Despite her illness, she does well in school and enjoys horse-riding, gymnastics, and especially swimming.

Today, Amy is beginning to regain her self-confidence, and is a happy child once more. Unfortunately, AIDS is beginning to take its toll, making the support she receives from Roses and Rosemary vital. She is receiving anti-retroviral medications, and relies on them as much she does the support she gets from TLC to help her bear the burden of the disease.

Shout For Joy - Tommy's (Itumeleng) Story

Surely the most heart-breaking aspect of the HIV pandemic is the impact it has on children.

United by a shared African heritage, or simply a love of the continent, the members of Roses & Rosemary seek to use our advantage as part of an affluent and stable society to help the world’s most vulnerable citizens: disadvantaged kids with HIV and AIDS.  Success stories like Tommy’s are what keeps the team going.

Many people are surprised by the effectiveness of modern retroviral technology. When the right funds and resources are made available, recovery is often extremely dramatic, even in children. Many have been literally pulled back from the brink of death. Tommy, a child in the care of a local church, is a case in point. He was found living in poverty in the back yard of a shebeen (illegal bar). Neglected and ill, his declining health had overshadowed his naturally bubbly and affectionate nature. Like thousands of children in Southern Africa, Tommy’s illness was taking him steadily to death’s door. But unlike so many of them, his luck took a surprising turn for the better. He was seen by a woman who was passing the shebeen one morning. Taking pity on him, she spoke to the owner who contacted TLC ministries.

Picture of Tommy

A local charity, TLC had been caring for HIV-positive children for some time. They took Tommy into their care and tried to trace his mother. At first, they assumed maltreatment had caused his apparent ill health, but when he developed double pneumonia (affecting both lungs), Tommy’s new saviors began to suspect the worst. He was tested and found to be in the advanced stages of HIV infection. At this phase, a patient’s only real hope is Anti Retroviral Treatment (ART), the combination drug therapy that is currently the most powerful defense against the ravages of the HIV virus. The medication required is extremely expensive – just under the average monthly salary. At $160 USD, it can even be too expensive for most charitable organizations to source.

TLC were unable to afford ART for Tommy. There was, however, a light at the end of this tunnel.

Though they had four other HIV-infected kids in their care, they found it hard to treat just one child. They decided to pay for an initial course of treatment and pray for help. At this point, Roses & Rosemary stepped in. Funded mainly by caring Americans, Roses & Rosemary has been set up with the sole objective of making a difference to young lives blighted by the HIV virus. Success stories like Tommy’s are slowly replacing the sad tales of death and isolation that have sadly become the norm in Southern Africa.  Thea Jarvis of TLC says:

"The children have done very well in the past few months. We have become blasé about (Tommy’s) continuing good health “

The ART meds caused an immediate improvement in Tommy's health.  With steadily decreasing HIV viral counts soon in evidence, Tommy has had some rough bouts with AIDS since then, but the ARTs have stabilized his health. He is a living testimony to the wonders of ART medications on even the sickest of HIV/AIDS-infected children. How long he will stay happy and healthy is not predictable by modern medicine, but one thing is certain: contributions from people like you have made life livable for one boy.