Sonia is a bright-eyed full of life four-year old. She
is as bright as a button and everyone’s favourite, including Father
Giovanni’s, if he were to admit it.
Father G had a smile on his face as he told me how she
tells him off. He explained that if he picks up one of the other children
and gives them a cuddle, Sonia demands that she too should be given a
cuddle.
She has been living at the Camillian Centre for about a
year now. Sonia was abandoned in Chonburi market by her ‘working girl’
mother who had AIDS.
Helping
little children like Sonia is what the PL Jaidee P.L.I.G.H.T. 1,000,000
Baht Initiative is all about.
Sonia was born with HIV.
That day, Sonia was lost and confused. In her
wanderings trying to find her Mama, she was knocked over by a car. She was
quite badly injured and taken to hospital. The blood test revealed that
she was HIV positive.
Sonia then had nobody in her life other than the
hospital staff. At that time she did not even have a name. For legal
reasons, Sonia was required to be moved to another government facility.
There was no room.
One of the hospital staff took it upon herself to call
Father Giovanni, and Father G made the necessary arrangements.
Sonia’s condition, as a direct result of HIV, was
poor indeed when she arrived at her new home. In very poor health, the
condition of her skin was ‘terrible’ according to Father G. Her neck,
ears and scalp were distressing (not only to her), necessitating her head
to be shaven prior to treatment.
She was one very sick little girl.
Following essential blood tests, the severity of
Sonia’s condition warranted the immediate commencement of
anti-retroviral treatment. Within a couple of months she had recovered
remarkably. She was soon to be seen running around the garden playing with
the other kids, just as she does today.
To look at her now, you would have no idea as to how
sick she has been, or how sick she will most probably one day become.
I, amongst many, hope that that day never arrives. It
hardly bears thinking about as to Sonia’s fate without the Camillian
Centre.
When this photo was taken I was talking to Sonia and
she went all shy, obviously feeling the need to hang on to Brother Tow for
security.
Do not be concerned about the white smudges on her
face, Sonia had just been for a shower and she does so like to play with
the talcum powder!
It is little kids like Sonia that the PL Jaidee
P.L.I.G.H.T. 1,000,000 Baht Initiative is all about. ‘PL’ stands for
the Pattaya Lovers http://www.pattayalovers.com website; ‘Jaidee’
means ‘good heart’ in Thai; P.L.I.G.H.T. is an acronym for ‘Pattaya
Lovers International Good Heart Trust’. The PL initiative is in support
of The Camillian Social Center at Rayong, caring for HIV/AIDS victims,
especially orphaned children. To make a donation to this appeal, please
contact me by e-mail on [email protected] or Father Giovanni on
[email protected]
There are many other little kids like Sonia who would
so love your help.
Chamlong
Chinchand (left), a teacher representing the Wat Suthawas School receives
educational funds raised by the Pattaya-Pratamnak Lions and presented by
senior district official in Banglamung, Chawalit Saenguthai.
Assistant
school administrator at the Phinchaemwicha School, Amorn Chairatanakornkij,
presents a bouquet of flowers to Lion president Mrs. Lamai Pheawthong, in
appreciation of the many years of assisting students providing educational
funding support.