Zubedabanu was brought to us by a nearby hospital. She had been dumped there by someone in early February 2008. Zubeda had HIV, tuberculosis, a liver condition, and weighed at most 50 pounds when she came to us. The hospital brought her after they stabilized her, as they had nobody to take care of her. She could not walk and was bedridden when we met her. The doctors advised us on the medications she was to take, and a check-up in 30 days at their clinic in the city. Our women at Karunya Mane helped take care of Zubeda -- they took the necessary precautions, and bathed her daily, changed her diapers, and gave her medicine to her. Zubeda was a fighter and desperately wanted to get better. She took her medicine when told and she tried to eat as much as she could.

While with us for two months, Zubeda regained some of her strength, was able to walk again and with the help of the women and a walker, took herself on walks every day around the facility, hoping to become strong enough to go back home. She constantly talked about wanting to go back home to find her son, who had run away after mom was taken to the hospital. Zubeda's parents refused to help her or take her in and her husband had abandoned her a while ago.

Zubeda's liver condition meant that she could not take the full course of treatment for tuberculosis (two of the four TB drugs are harmful to the liver). In the end, she fell into a coma and we took her back to the hospital, where they did what they could. But, she could no longer fight and Zubeda passed away on April 10, 2008. Although with us for just a short time, Zubeda rallied the women around her, and everyone at KM grew stronger from having known her.