Tag Archives: HIV

First Day of school

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The kids were super excited as always to head back to school.  Who doesn’t love the first couple of days – new clothes, new backpack, crisp unmarred notebooks, long pencils with erasers intact, pens that work, and of course, new bicycles!

The proud new 7th graders the first up and on their way not wanting to waste a moment getting those bikes on the road.

Meet the newest Wat Opot Bicycle Gang!!

The younger ones were just as excited and proudly displayed their new attire…


 

 

 

As they walked the short path to the grade school.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was a new beginning for Mr. Wey and Srey Nith, both enrolled in the first grade this year!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SaOun and Chay welcomed Srey Nith to their ‘big-kids-who-go-to-school’ club.  They wanted to bring Pompous with them (before the feline met his demise a few weeks ago).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rortana was given her own little school bag since she was in a sense “a child left behind”.

 

 

Her loneliness was short-lived though as it wasn’t long before Wey and Srey Nith came trotting back to Wat Opot….seems they are just too young and will have to wait another year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Neither was too worried though since they get to join Virak in English school in the Creative Learning Center instead!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE WATOPOTIANS

 

Final update on Ann Marie

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Ann Marie funeral 4

She gave us a scare after developing the fever and the doctor said she would have to be hospitalized for IV therapy. They had started her on heavy doses of antibiotics and ARV medicine when she tested positive for HIV and that started a fungus infection in her mouth. We had lost other babies in the same way and for that reason we were all very happy to have her returned to us on Tuesday afternoon… back to her old self. In the evening she had difficulty taking her ARV medicine and vomited four times but calmed down when given her bottle and had a good nights sleep. In the morning she did much better taking her medicine but than an hour later she slipped into a comma and quietly left us.

Ann Marie funeral

The children were called from school and Luak Phos led us in the funeral service… it has been awhile since our last death but everyone still knows the routine. They stop being children, for just a few moments, and take on the role of adults… praying one of their own through to that which lies beyond the veil.

Ann Marie funeral 2

They accompaied her on the final steps of her journey to the crematorium… and then ran off to be the children that they are.

Wayne

Into the arms of strangers

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“For two weeks I had watched as she slowly released, the only thing she had left in this life to live for . At first it was difficult for her, because Chay had known only her skirts as the boundaries of his world and only his Mother’s loving arms for protection and comfort… from a world that had already taken his Father. She was determined however to make sure he would be taken good care of and so she pushed him…”

To read the full story CLICK HERE