How I gave birth to 5 HIV-free children

“NoNigerian child should be born with HIV.” This is the new cliché in Nigeria following the launch of the National Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV (eMTCT) Plan 2015-2016 by President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja last week.
No other person shares this view better than Stella Ibianujulu Ebelu, a 37-year-old person living with HIV. An encounter with Stella is an exciting and revealing experience.
A proud mother of five healthy, HIV-free children – three boys and two girls, Stella’s story is a great testimony to the efficacy of the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, PMTCT, “All my children were born naturally (through the birth canal) rather than the tradition Caesarean Section common with HIV positive women.
“I could have five HIV negative children because I know my HIV status and accessed treatment,” she affirmed to Good Health Weekly.
In pregnancy, I was taking my drugs and kept to good diet and nutrition, my viral load really came down and I was able to deliver my children through the birth canal (normal delivery) not through Caesarean Section. I also breast fed each child exclusively for six months,” she noted.
Primarily, Stella’s mission is to correct the misconceptions people have about HIV/AIDS. “HIV is not a deadly sickness.
One must do the right things not to move to AIDS, just like managing High Blood Pressure from turning to stroke.
She disclosed a three-pronged First thing every pregnant women should not do is to go to traditional birth attendants who don’t even know their HIV status or how to go about treating and caring for pregnant women. Second thing is to accept the reality of your status and thirdly, follow it up with adequate treatment.”
Infection
A graduate of Hotel Management and Catering but currently a HIV treatment support specialist, Stella was diagnosed in 1994 after being infected through blood transfusion. “I had a growth on the back of my neck.
I went to the hospital and after many tests and screenings I was told I needed to undergo surgery as well as blood for the surgical intervention. Then I was single. My brother volunteered to donate blood for me.
The operation was done and I was discharged.” But six months later Stella fell sick, developed herpes and returned to the hospital. “I was screened for HIV and the result turned out positive. My world collapsed like a pack of cards.
I didn’t know what to do or what to make of my life. As a single lady, many thoughts crossed my mind and I became worried about how to carry on with my life.”
Marriage proposal
Stella relocated to Enugu with determination to survive. “How to go about my life not infecting others, as well as live without coming down with AIDS was uppermost on my mind. Sometime later, a trader from Kafanchan showed interest in me and said he wanted to marry me.
Before we went too far, I told him about my HIV status. He doubted me and said it was a huge ploy to discourage him and that he would not give up on me because he genuinely loves me.”
“After the screening, the results indicated he is HIV negative while I am HIV positive. To my surprise, he insisted on going ahead with his plan to marry me. His reason was that I am truthful and that he loved me and could trust me with his life.
He said if a woman could not hide such a secret from a man that is well-off, such woman shouldn’t be given up. “I was convinced and took him to my people who welcomed him and asked if he knew my status. He answered in the affirmative. That was how we commenced steps to marriage.”
No church wedding
Stella and her man desired a church wedding and so informed her pastor who urged them to undergo screenings and tests, all of which were carried out and the results were negative, except for Stella’s HIV positive status.
The pastor’s attempt to discourage the marriage failed as her suitor insisted he wanted Stella and no other lady. “My pastor put his feet down that the marriage wouldn’t hold in his church, so we settled for traditional wedding. Afterwards we decided to settle in Abuja and I enrolled for antenatal care at Asokoro General Hospital, Abuja.”
At the hospital, Stella enrolled on the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV PMTCT programme at the antenatal clinic and in 2002 had her first baby. “I was resolute not to become a burden to my people, the nation or anybody. I took responsibility for my health by accessing the drugs and using them. I did not miss my antenatal clinic days. There were phases in the drug policy- from being expensive, to being subsidised and totally free.
Stigma & discrimination
Stella suffered intimidating stigma and discrimination. “When I was single and confirmed HIV positive, my stepmother humiliated me. She wouldn’t associate with me or use anything with me in the house. If I used a cup, she would either throw it away or restrict me to just that cup alone. She told the neighbours not to socialise with me. I was ostracised. It was a terrible phase for me but at a stage I just summoned up courage and decided to live my life.
“I stopped breastfeeding my first baby at the sixth month. I was naturally afraid of what people would say and there were a few raised eyebrows. When we travelled to my husband’s place, his people were asking me why I stopped breastfeeding the child at six months. But my husband stood by me. He told them six month was enough to breast feed. I can say boldly that my husband is my backbone. He supports me. So with time people knew my pattern of breastfeeding for just six months. But all my five children, the eldest aged 14, last born 2, are HIV free.
Experience:
“I have acquired experience and can share with others that being HIV positive is not the end of life. I now counsel women, especially pregnant women.
I visit them at home, encourage them. It is a delight when you see a pregnant woman move from fear to fulfilment, in terms of taking her drugs, to save delivery and producing HIV negative babies.
In Stella’s view, the world has moved ahead even with HIV/AIDS.“Nigerians should update themselves. Men out there should emulate my husband. Support your wife, support your family. If he had chosen to throw me out, today I won’t be this happy and probably I wouldn’t be in position to save all these lives.”

This one is miracle

Micracle

it is only ignorant DAT kill