Marudeva lost his mother to AIDs when he was really young, his father is still living with HIV but is too sick to care for him. Years of malnutrition caused Marudeva to develop rickets, which has developed into a permanent condition requiring operations on both of his knees. A simple operation, however doctors refuse to take him on as a patient because of his HIV positive status. The stigma around HIV in India is so strong that nurses, GPs and hospitals turn positive patients away as to not “infect” other patients.
Marudeva now lives at Rays, a home for HIV positive kids we fund with our profits. We’re working to make sure kids like Marudeva have a home, education and full medical care, a place free of stigma.
Product inspired: Marudeva Ring