A WOMAN who lost her husband to Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection in June is battling the illness along with her one-year 10-month-old son.
The 22-year-old says she hopes to live long enough to see her children grow up.
The mother of two only found out that she was HIV positive a few months after being admitted at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital (CWMH) in Suva this year.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation, the young mother shared her story in the hope that it would inspire women to focus on the importance of love and care within the family.
She said her 29-year-old husband had been sick and bedridden since December last year.
She claimed after visiting the hospital in February this year, her husband told her he had leptospirosis.
She said even at his last breath, her husband apologised to her, but never told her that he was dying from HIV.
He died in June.
The distraught mother said she felt betrayed but there was nothing she could do about it.
She said the duo decided to get married in 2017 after spending a year apart.
The 22-year-old said in March this year, she was rushed to the hospital with her son and this was when she was told that she had tested positive for the virus.
At first, she said she could not bring herself to believe it.
She said life had not been easy because over the past few months, she and her son had continuously been sick.
However, she says she remains hopeful and is trying her best to get by each day with a positive attitude.
Her ultimate aim is to get better and live a normal life with her children.
