VADIM & ALYONA Story: "A year ago we were both in hospital, now we live together. You should not give up on your treatment."

Vadim, 29, from Baranovichi, and Alyona, 19, from Minsk. Both are outpatients in the TB Dispensary 2, and met in the hospital. They have been living in this apartment for almost two months. Pictured in Minsk, Belarus in August 2018

MSF249692

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VADIM & ALYONA Story: "A year ago we were both in hospital, now we live together. You should not give up on your treatment."

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Unique Identifier Code / URN MSF249692

Date taken / Date Recorded 18/08/2018 12:00 AM

Country Belarus

Detailed location Minsk

Commissioning section MSF-NETHERLANDS

Photographer / videographer / producer Viviane Dalles

Usage Rights (MSF) External Media, MSF Fundraising, MSF Publications, Social Media

Formal Consent Copy available yes

Editor's rating ★★★ (F)

Maximum Size 3984px × 5976px 12.76 MB

Additional Information / Shotlist VADIM & ALYONA

"A year ago we were both in hospital, and now we live together and we earn our living.
So that means you should not give up when you are on treatment." Vadim

Vadim is 29 years old, from Baranovichi, and Alyona is 19 years old, from Minsk. They are both outpatients in TB Dispensary 2. They met during their treatment in the hospital. They‘ve been living in this apartment for almost two months (July 2018). They will complete their treatment by the end of 2018.

VADIM
“When I was hospitalized in my town I was sharing a ward only with elderly men and they were all drinking. I had an impression that I was going to die.” Vadim

Vadim doesn’t know how he got TB. He got support from his family and a couple of friends. When he was hospitalized, doctors told him he had drug resistant TB and he thought it was the end. And they told him in Minsk there was a centre where they were using new drugs. So he moved to Minsk. He met Alyona at the Institute.

ALYONA
"There was different life before and after TB treatment. I grew up earlier than others." Alyona

Alyona learnt that she had TB in 2016. She got it from her parents. Her mother got cured in 2016 and her father died: he had been on treatment for a long time. He was drinking, he wouldn’t go to the polyclinic, and when he made up his mind it was too late: there were no drugs that could help him. He died in 2014.
When she learnt she had TB she didn’t have any reaction, some kind of emptiness. She told her close friends and also her fellow students in the college because they had to be tested after this. Their reaction was different: some people were ok and some were not. She couldn’t continue her studies. It was the last year at the college, but she had to quit. She was hospitalized in the RSPC PT (TB Institute) and spent 6 months there. First it was hard and unpleasant, but then some new patients were admitted with whom she could keep company, spend time and go outdoors for a walk.

“I wasn’t shocked to learn that I had TB. I knew about TB since I was little. My father fell sick when I was 5. So I understood it was possible to get infected. My grandmother was very negative about it, she said I shouldn’t stay with my parents before they get cured as I might get infected. But what should I do, not see my mum for 6 months? I didn’t care even if I could get sick.” Alyona

Alyona cannot resume her studies before she completes her 2-years treatment. But she doesn’t see any point to go back to school. She would like to train and become a manicurist.

Out-Patient Department

Pharmacy

Portrait

Tuberculosis