“I was born with HIV Virus, but I didn’t know until I was 13 years old — Says Moraa Moracha

By Yahaya Idris, Nairobi.

Doreen Moraa Moracha is from Nairobi, Kenya in East Africa was born with HIV virus and has been using her experiences to de-stigmatize HIV patients across Africa and rest of the world.

According to her, she is also educating people and providing first hand awareness to people living with HIV viruses on how to manage it.

Moraa Moracha lead in an advocacy initiative to create hope and awareness for others living with HIV.

She has rejected self-pity and instead taken good care of herself and grown into a real beauty woman.

Global Times Nigeria investigation revealed that the Kenya HIV Carrier has fully accepted her status and has been religiously taking her antiretrovirals drug to sustain her life span.

Doreen explained that she contacted the incurable disease from her mother at birth in what is known as mother-to-child transmission.

A lady born with HIV and AIDS has grown into a beautiful woman despite the incurable disease.

The lady, Doreen Moraa Moracha, does not hide her HIV status but instead has become a shining example for many.

Doreen Moraa Moracha. Born with HIV, Doreen found out about her status only when she was 13. Stigma and treatment fatigue made her keep it a secret and stop treatment for two years. Doreen is now a social media influencer based in Nairobi, Kenya, and founder of the I AM A BEAUTIFUL STORY on the YouTube channel.

She uses social media platforms to show people they can “live their best lives”, even with an HIV diagnosis.

She has also been working with the International AIDS Society, IAS, to develop the Youth Hub, a digital space for young change makers living with HIV.

“When I was born, my mom did not know I had HIV. I started getting sick from my sixth month. My parents and relatives assumed that I was bewitched because I was always sick.”

I was born with HIV, but I did not find out until I was 13 years old.

When I was born, my mom did not know she or I had HIV. I started getting sick from my sixth month. My parents and relatives assumed that I was bewitched because I was always sick. But they did not know what was ailing me. When my little brother died, they thought, “They were both bewitched and now one of them died.” It was only when I was diagnosed that we realized he had died of AIDS-related diseases.

When I was eight, I had herpes zoster. At the hospital, I was tested for HIV; that is how my parents found out I had HIV. The doctors told my parents, “We’re not going to give her a long time to live. If she reaches the age of 12 and can access medication, she will be okay. For now, just take her home and love her.” And they did. But they didn’t tell me I had HIV until I reached 13 and could access medication because this was when ARVs became freely available in Kenya. Before this, HIV medication in Kenya was for rich people only: it was expensive and they shipped it from Europe and America. A normal person could not afford it.

Doreen has grown into a beautiful woman despite being HIV positive.

Doreen takes time to explain what it means to be living with HIV and AIDS and many people have fallen in love with her on TikTok.

In a video, Doreen explained to her curious followers that she got the disease from her mother at birth.

She said:

“My dad and my mum were a discordant couple. Dad until his death, was HIV negative. Mum is alive and is still HIV positive. I’m the only one among my siblings that is living with HIV. The other one born with HIV like me died because there was no treatment.”

Doreen only learned of her HIV status as a 13-year-old child when her parents made the shocking revelation to her.

She said her parents and doctors thought she would die early. At 17, she said she started blaming her mother for the disease and threw away her ARVs.

She said she nearly died after stopping her treatment. But now, Doreen has accepted her status and is shining elegantly.