Interview 42  

Interview 42

Age at Interview: 51
Sex: Female
Age at Diagnosis: 47
Background: A 51 year old woman who came to the UK from Africa over 5 years ago. She did not know what was wrong with her husband who became sick and died back home.

Brief outline:She became sick in the UK while visiting some of her children who live here, and she feels she is now 'stuck here.' The uncertainty over her immigration status is very stressful and does get her down. (Video and audio clips read by an actor.)

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After an advocate visited her in hospital and helped her join a support group, she was motivated to get better. (Read by an actor.)

 



Especially myself, I remember, I stayed for 5 months in hospital. The last hospital where I went, there was this lady who came to visit me, she was coming from a support group. She talked to me about this support group and things like that, but I didn't understand what she was talking about. 

So the next day she told the nurses to invite me for the next support group. So the hospital hired a taxi for me to go to the support group. I went there and saw very fit people. And I thought, how could they take me to such a place? Are all these people… are they HIV positive? And I couldn't believe it myself. 

I went back to the hospital and I said, 'I think you sent me to the wrong place'. They said 'no, no, no it was the right place'. 

So on my discharge from hospital, this lady from that support group came to visit me and she always used to send me a taxi. And that is when I started to see… talking to those fit people, speak to people, how they are managing. 

And all of a sudden people were shocked about my recovery. In my life. All of a sudden I started to improve. Because I was looking at the fit people and saying I want to be like her. How come she is so fit and I am still thin? What is happening to me? Even asking some of the people what type of food are you eating which is making you healthy?

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