When my family found out I had TB, they were scared of me.

They didn’t visit me at the hospital because they didn’t want to catch the disease.

When I came home, they wouldn’t sit with me. They didn’t come near me.

They separated my plate, cup and utensils, so that I didn’t pass the disease on to them. They stayed far away from me. 

People in my community talked behind my back and say, “See that young girl? She has TB.” But now they see that, since I started taking the medication, I started putting some weight back on and I don’t look sick.

I started feeling better after I started the medication. I stopped getting short of breath, I felt well again.

With this COVID-19 pandemic, because I have TB, I have to be extra careful.

If I get COVID-19, it won’t be good because I already have an illness.

So to protect myself, I wear a mask everywhere I go.

I found out that you can fight TB. It’s not the end of your life.

If you take your medicine properly, you can go back to your former self. 

You can go back to your life. You can still reach for your dreams. For me, I want to go back and finish school.