18

He is 18.

Not his age.

This man has seen at least 35 revolutions around the sun since his birth.

18 is his weight.

18 kilogrammes.

He is basically skin and bones.

The ravages of HIV. The product of an immune system that has been run down – and allowed tuberculosis to take over. The result of many days of not eating. The end-point of many months of not being cared for.

We will call him Yohan. He came to the JSK Community Care Centre last week. He had been admitted at the civil hospital in Thane for 2 weeks without any improvement. They discharged him to die.

Yohan came to us with very little hope.

His friends brought him. Strapping lads. Who promised that they would be with him.

They have kept their promise so far.

There is always someone with Yohan. It may be his aged mother – who herself has suffered a stroke. Or one of his friends. Vikas is a particularly faithful presence.

Yohan is being loved. Our nurses are caring for him. Bathing him. Feeding him.

Sheba is with the nurse on duty as I type this. It is 10.10 PM. Yohan has a full bladder but cannot pass urine. They are working to help him.

Yohan came semi-comatose. He could not speak. He could barely move.

This morning there was a twinkle in his eye. He has started eating some food. He polished off a masala dosa yesterday. Two chappatis today. He has started saying a few words.

Yohan still has a long road to go. He needs lots of calories. He needs to overcome his TB. He needs to be knit back together again.

Yohan has a bed sore on his back. It was from the previous hospitalization. He has so little flesh that unless he is physically shifted every 4 hours – more sores will emerge. Our nurses are dressing the wound. The saintly Sister Chinnamma takes special joy in caring for Yohan. We are blessed to have a team like this serving at the Jeevan Sahara Kendra Community Care Centre.

Every morning and every evening – and several times in between Yohan is prayed for. It will be a miracle if he pulls through. But even if he does not – and we are working hard to keep that from happening – even if Yohan does not live too much longer - we know that his last days will have ones where he experienced some comfort and love in the midst of his sufferings.