Holistic Care for 450 HIV Positive Thai Families

Weaw and her Yaay (grandmother) Samroei live together in a small slum community. Weaw grew up here, it's what she knows and  it's her home. Yaay Samroei has worked hard at forming a family unit for them in this difficult situation. Weaw's parents died when she was a toddler so she has only some vague memories left of them, Yaay Samroei has cared for her ever since.
Weaw is HIV positive, passed down from her mother at birth, but with good medication her health is under control.
When we went to visit, yet another disaster had hit this family. Yaay Samroei had broken her femur bone in her upper leg after a fall. She was in hospital for one month and constantly worried about Weaw ho is now 13 years old and has just started in a new high school. Yaay Samroei's sister came to stay with Weaw to help look after her. She is still with them now looking after both Weaw and Yaay Samroei who is out of hospital now but unable to stand as the bone hasn't healed yet. She also sufferes from elderly age ailments such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
Yaay Samroei's house is very small with only one main room and no where to sit but on a cushion on the hard floor. Her house is shared by her sister, Weaw and, at the time of our visit, other extended members of the family. She is having to move around her home on her bottom using her arms to lift herself and dragging her leg with a cushion to support it underneath. Her house is on a raised platform so even to get to the hospital at the time of the incident she had to be carried down her street to a taxi.
Yaay Samroei used to earn her money and only income by looking after other's children from the neighourhood, she can no longer do this which as you can imagine, brings greater struggle to the family. It also adds even more worry and stress onto Yaay Samroei as she needs to pay her rent and feed herself and Weaw.
Yaay Samroei and Weaw are so pleased to have regular visitors from Siam-Care staff, people from outside their community. They seemed relieved to have someone to talk to and share their sorrows with. Yaay Samroei shared with us how this emotionally affects her; being stuck inside constantly and being unable to care for herself or for Weaw makes her feel very depressed.  Knowing that the team at Siam Care is there to support them gave this family hope and brought a smile to their faces.
This is one of the many families that your donations help us support during desperate times.