In 2001, a reverend minister and wife were both tested positive for the dreaded HIV AIDS and world came crushing or so they expected.
The news came as a shock, and particularly as a Reverend Minister, John Azumah reprimanded God asking why He punished him with a disease erroneously seen in the public eye as a price for immorality.
Ten years on, Rev. John Azumah and wife, Lydia, live a happy life in their Obuasi residence with their four children – all HIV negative.
The last was born two years ago and gratifyingly, he is also negative.
In a chilling story told Joy News’ Bernard Saibu, the reverend minister said his wife was seriously ill some ten years ago and after several failed attempts to diagnose the cause of the disease they both decided to take the HIV test.
“…We finally had to go for the HIV test and because we were a couple we tested the same day and the results showed we were HIV positive. It was very shocking news but we had to accept it,” he narrated.
Rev. Azumah was and is still not interested in finding out how they both contracted the disease except to say, “frankly I don’t know. People have the perception that whoever is HIV might have gotten it through sexual intercourse. Fine, that forms the highest percentage. There are other means that one can also get HIV. But I don’t know, my wife doesn’t know. We trust each other. We are interested in what we can do to lead a positive life.
“We are not interested in where we got it from because even when we know it will not help us,” he stated.
He said through the encouragement of each other they are still alive proclaiming the good name of the Lord.
He said even before they were declared positive, they led a humble life and so we never dreamt it would be HIV.
“It was a big shock, we did not know what to do. But finally we encouraged one another. We decided when we live we live for the Lord and when we die we die for the Lord and thank God here we are, we are still alive,” he narrated.
Rev Azumah’s narration coincides with the World AIDS Day set aside to create more awareness about the deadly disease.