Gay Couple Adopts HIV+ Child, 5 Yrs Later Her Virus Subsides

An HIV positive baby girl adopted in 2014 by a gay couple get a second shot at life.Damein Pighin, 42 and Ariel Vijarra, 39 adopted baby Olivia after 10 other families had rejected her, reported the Daily Mail.The couple that was also the first gay couple to get married in Santa Fe, a Province in North Eastern Argentina, had been trying to adopt a child and expand their family since 2011. After a number of failed attempts, their prayers were answered in the form of a call they received three years later telling them about a 28-day-old baby up for adoption. They were then the first same-sex couple to adopt a child.Also Read: Special Needs Kids Struggle to Get Adopted in IndiaDamein Pighin and Ariel Vijarra with their daughters Olivia and Victoria.Speaking to the local news Vijarra said “As soon as I saw her, I felt that she was part of my life. The connection was immediate. We held her in our arms, gave her the bottle and she looked at us with her eyes wide open without crying,” reported Daily Mail.Five Years Later, The Child’s HIV Virus is ‘Virtually Undetectable’The baby, Olivia, was born HIV positive and was severely underweight. But now, five years down the road, not only has she responded well to the treatment and gained healthy weight, the HIV virus is virtually undetectable in her.Although there is no definitive cure for HIV as of yet, it is possible to significantly reduce the amount of virus even as far as to the point of being undetectable if treated properly and in time. The virus being ‘undetectable’ means that the person is no longer infectious and the virus is no longer able to damage the immune system.Arial and Damien who have since adopted another baby girl named Victoria, now run an NGO helping unwanted children up for adoption find homes.(FIT is launching its #PollutionKaSolution campaign. Join us by becoming an anti-air pollution warrior. Send in your questions, your stories of how to tackle air pollution and your ideas to FIT@thequint.com)Also Read: Homophobia Is Hypocrisy: India’s First Openly Gay Prince Manvendra(With inputs from Daily Mail)

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Gay Couple Adopts HIV+ Child, 5 Yrs Later Her Virus Subsides

Gay Couple Adopts HIV+ Child, 5 Yrs Later Her Virus Subsides

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