Granny, 73: My life with HIV

[AlphaCentauri]

Great-grandmother, Cynthia Pascal, has been living with the deadly HIV virus for five years. And although her lifestyle has changed, Pascal has not allowed the virus to control her daily routine.

She still cares for her seven children, 16 grand children and six great grand children. And she is still an active member of the community church.

Pascal, 73, stood smiling before an audience at City Hall, Harris Promenade, San Fernando yesterday and spoke about living with the HIV virus.

"I did not know I had the virus. I was getting slimmer and slimmer and I thought it was my kidney. Doctors could not tell me what was happening until I collapsed one day and was taken to the San Fernando General Hospital. There I was diagnosed with the virus. AIDS is not a nice thing to be living with. But I did not allow it to control my life," she said.

Pascal, of Siparia, pleaded with youths to have only one sexual partner. "I want to warn young people to stick to one partner. Don't go jumping from here to there it does not pay," she said.

Pascal said the greatest pain for people with the virus was discrimination. "I have not really experienced discrimination, but I know what it can do -it can kill you," she said.

Pascal was speaking at a symposium hosted by the Ministry of Social Development to commemorate International Women's Day. The symposium was titled "Keeping the Promise: An Agenda for Action on Women and HIV".

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=161300431