A six-year-old HIV carrier, has been living alone since his parents died of AIDS. The boy, known as Ah Long, does his own washing, cooking, studying and he also rears some chicken. He lives in his parents’ house at the foothill village of Malu Mountain in Liuzhou in Guangxi Province, China. Ah Long has an 84-year-old grandmother, who visits him quite frequently and cooks for him. The granny has also planted some vegetables near the house for Ah Long.Ah Long does know what AIDS is. All he knew was that his friends never want to be near him, doctors did not want to treat his wounds and his only family member – his granny – refused to live with him. He was also rejected by the nearby primary school. The only companion the boy has is a dog called Lao Hei.
*Ah Long does not know…
So here I am, isolating myself because of a number when Ah Long is too young to understand why he’s stigmatised by the community. It’s heart breaking to know that he only has Lao Hei where people here complain how lonely they are or how the senseless abbreviation “FML” constantly applies to them. Emotionally unstable, I’ve made you guys worry about me.
Thank you.
Thank you for the phone calls and hugs, they’ve made me a little stronger. I’m so grateful. It was hard for me to tell myself that I could get through this, so when I hear these words from my family and friends, it’s comforting to know that they are there for me when I feel at my most broken.
I will take it one day at a time now to get through this.
Even though Ah Long doesn’t have basic life’s necessities, his story has the power to truly inspire others to rethink what they have around them.
Ah Long is stronger than most people around the world, and at the age of only six with almost nothing but just his best friend, is amazing.
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