Mary tumaini Childrens foundation

Tumaini Children's Foundation

Mary (Humphrey) is 14 years old, and currently weighs 30 kg. She attended public, primary school in her village of Ndoombo, about half way up Mount Meru and has consistently performed in the top ten of her class of upwards of one hundred plus students. Mary (until coming to Tumaini) lived with her aging and very poor Bibi (grandmother) after losing both of her parents to AIDS. Mary herself is HIV+ and the extreme poverty she and her Bibi struggle with has prohibited her from a) getting to a monthly clinic where her CD4 count can be checked and where she can receive free ARV’s (antiretrovirals), medications which help to suppress the disease, and b) having access to plentiful, nutritious, protein and vegetable rich food which strengthens the body and further helps stave off the progression of AIDS.

Our immune systems contain different cells which help protect the body from infection. One such cell is called the CD4 or T cell. HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) attacks these cells, replicates itself, and eventually weakens the immune system making it unable to protect the body from illness and infection. HIV is monitored by counting the CD4 cells present in a blood sample. With respect to CD4 counts, the higher, the better. Uninfected people have a CD4 count between 700 and 1,000. HIV infected persons are considered to be in the “normal” range if the count is above 500. If the CD4 count should drop below 200, a person is considered to have “AIDS”, or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. Someone with AIDS is now especially vulnerable to one of many “opportunistic infections” such as pneumonia or tuberculosis which is the killer. One doesn’t die of AIDS, but of the infection permitted to enter the body because of its vulnerability. So, a CD4 count below 200 and you’re considered to have AIDS . . . Mary’s last CD4 count? 87.

Mary is a sick little girl yes, BUT, and we must remember this... Mary has us. Mary is back on her ARV’s and will stay that way . . . Mary now lives at Tumaini and is eating a special diet , rich in protein, milk and vegetables, prescribed by Dr. Lyimo and lovingly prepared by our cook Neema and so far, thank God, she has no other illnesses. Her CD4 count will climb and hopefully, we’ll get her out of the danger zone very, very soon. Remember, too, that Mary is much, MUCH happier. She has found “tumaini”, “hope” for the first time in her young life and we have given her that. She can hope for good food every day . . . to stop feeling so weak and sick and tired all of the time . . . she has a warm bed, and sisters and brothers to play with and mamas to love her . . . she can hope to find happiness in her tomorrow and THAT, and the food and the meds will make her better, God willing.

Mary's Sponsors

Mayre Partridge helps with Mary's day to day care

and the Goodman Family (Tom, Diane, Robyn and Mariel) help with school fees...Asante Sana!