Nurse's Notes

by Jodie Schooley - TOA Medical Director

Antoni - the boy who captured our hearts

As I visited this little boy in the hospital almost 3 years ago, I could hardly hold back the tears. His mother had died of AIDS just days before and he had no father. His poor state of health was glaringly obvious as he lay in the hospital bed with swollen abdomen and face, and arms and legs as thin as sticks. Despite his condition, I was astounded at how much life was in this charming little boy who grabbed our hearts and hasn’t let go. I am talking about Antoni. He was one of the first children we took into Treasures of Africa and I knew right away that he was a very special child.

Antoni has HIV and was very sick upon admission to TOA. He was suffering from active Tuberculosis, had an enlarged liver, intestinal worms, and more, yet he was so full of life and so amazingly funny. He entertained everyone with song and dance once he got comfortable in his new environment, which didn’t take long.

I have been privileged to see a great transformation in this child’s life. His health has improved dramatically through proper care, nutrition, and medicine and ultimately the grace and love of God. Antoni loves cars and can’t wait until he is old enough to drive. He also loves soccer, bike riding and drawing. He has grown so much physically that I literally stand in awe of God every time I look at him, remembering how he looked when he first came to us. His viral load (the amount of HIV virus present in his body) was undetectable as of January last year. The test will be repeated soon and we are believing God for another good report. Thank you for your continued prayers for this awesome little guy!

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