19-year-old HIV/AIDS boy stigmatized and neglected by family

A 19-year-old boy, Gideon Quansah a native of Abura Patoako in Abura Aseibu Kwamankese District in the Central Region, who has been diagnosed with HIV Positive has been left to his own fate by his family.

The boy who’s believed to have contracted the disease from his mother who died some months ago has been made to sleep in an abandoned store on the outskirts of the town.

He told EIB Network Central Regional Correspondent Yaw Boagyan in an interview that the stigmatization against him is so bad to the extent that food sellers refuse to sell to him when he wants to buy food, while his friends also runaway whenever they see him coming closer to them.

Currently, the owner of the store where he sleeps is said to be demanding for his store. He eats once a day or starves for the whole day due to a lack of food.

Gideon Quansah who is said to be academically good, dropped out of school immediately he started growing lean after testing positive for HIV/AIDS.

According to him, he was forced out of his home by his family after his HIV/AIDS status became now to them making him wonder about in search of a place to lay his head.

“People sometimes call me a wizard and pour water on me if I go near to them. I am waiting for death to take me away as I do not have any hope in life,” Gideon sadly added.

Gideon is therefore appealing for support from the general public to help him survive else he will die.

A good samaritan, Sister Mansah who has been offering Gideon help pleaded with benevolent persons and NGOs to come to the aid of the boy as his situation is getting worsening worse each passing day.

She revealed that the boy attempted suicide several times and it took her intervention to stop him from taking his kife by taking in poisonous substances.