I am a widow with five children. i also have AIDS.
Martinez, N.
Network 13(4): 4
1993
ISSN/ISBN: 0270-3637 PMID: 12344877 Document Number: 325987
Norman Martinez died in 1991. She died from AIDS in a town outside of Mexico City at age 32 years weighing 57 pounds and leaving behind 5 children. Mrs. Martinez died after she was widowed by her husbands who contracted HIV by giving blood professionally. While her husband learned 7 years before his death that he had HIV, he did not know what it was. The last child was born after Mrs. Martinez found that she, too, was HIV-seropositive, but the child was carried to term and also carries HIV since abortions are permitted in only select circumstances. The 16-year-old son works to provide for the family, while the 13-year-old daughter cares for the family and house at the expense of her education. Even though her family was poor, had barely enough to eat, and could not afford the AZT which she needs, Mrs. Martinez at least hoped that her children would not be stigmatized by the community. Mrs. Martinez goes on to state that the realization of her impending and untimely mortality made her stronger. She hopes that readers will learn from this depiction of her experience and educate the uninfected while being sensitive to the infected.