Sibongile — From Hospital to Busy Working Mom

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Sibongile

Swaziland

41 years

Receptionist 

5 sons: Siphesihle, Nomalungelo, Ayanda, Fisokuhle, Lindokuhle and Nkosephayo

Began antiretroviral treatment in October 2004

It was after her first husband died in 2003 that Sibongile learned she was HIV positive. A short while later she became extremely ill herself and was admitted to hospital in 2004 where she remained for several months.

Thanks to a constant course of antiretroviral treatment, Sibongile is today happy and healthy. And she’s completely unrecognizable from the desperately ill woman she was. Her one regret is that she doesn’t have a photograph of herself then…people just don’t believe her now when she tries to tell them how sick she was before starting ARV’s.

Today Sibongile is a busy working mom with five sons who range in age from 21 years down to her youngest, baby Nkosephayo.

When she became pregnant with Nkosephayo early in 2007, Sibongile was able to take a recommended PMTCT regimen (prevention of mother to child transmission) to help reduce the risk of her baby being born with HIV.

On November 14^th, 2007, to everyone’s delight, Nkosephayo was born healthy and HIV-negative. It’s no wonder his name means “God Gives”.

Hear Sibongile talk about how she felt when she was given the news her baby was healthy… click here