February 17, 2006: Headlines: COS - Nigeria: AIDS: HIV: The Herald: Nigeria RPCV Jeannine Fosca of Everett has lived with AIDS for almost 10 years
Peace Corps Online:
Directory:
Nigeria:
Peace Corps Nigeria :
The Peace Corps in Nigeria:
February 17, 2006: Headlines: COS - Nigeria: AIDS: HIV: The Herald: Nigeria RPCV Jeannine Fosca of Everett has lived with AIDS for almost 10 years
Nigeria RPCV Jeannine Fosca of Everett has lived with AIDS for almost 10 years
A child of Peruvian immigrants, Fosca, who grew up in Arizona, visited Peru when she was 10 years old. It was her first, indelible, look at real poverty. After college, she joined the Peace Corps and served in Nigeria. "I decided that though HIV may one day kill me physically, I would not allow it to kill me spiritually, psychologically or emotionally," Fosca said. "I made a choice that day that HIV was not going to stop me."
Nigeria RPCV Jeannine Fosca of Everett has lived with AIDS for almost 10 years
AIDS is woman's lifework
By Kristi O'Harran
Herald Columnist
Photo:Kevin Nortz / The Herald
Jeannine Fosca, 39, of Everett has lived with AIDS for nearly 10 years. But she said it doesn't weigh her down.
"I lead a healthy life," Fosca said. "I believe I'll live to be an old lady."
Along the way, she'll talk about her journey via Alive With AIDS, an organization she created to share her story as a woman and mother, and help those living with the disease around the world.
"I am blessed with medications and services that allow me to live a full, productive, and yes, happy life," Fosca said. "I wish the same for others living with HIV-AIDS."
A child of Peruvian immigrants, Fosca, who grew up in Arizona, visited Peru when she was 10 years old. It was her first, indelible, look at real poverty. After college, she joined the Peace Corps and served in Nigeria.
During her exit medical evaluation from the Peace Corps in 1993, she tested positive for HIV.
"How could I possibly have HIV?" she said. "I was young, strong and healthy."
After a second test confirmed the result, she slammed her fist onto a desk.
"I catapulted into a zone that I can only describe as being in a fog, as if under water or in a thick mist. The world felt surreal to me. The doctor extended his apologies, offered for me to stay in the room as long as necessary, referred me to a virologist and stated he would need to see his next patient."
She was left alone in the room, stunned.
Fosca shared her story this week with members of RESULTS, a grass-roots national organization working to end hunger and the worst aspects of poverty around the globe. Organizer Teresa Rugg said she appreciated Fosca sharing her story.
Fosca told the group that when she discovered she was HIV-positive, she felt anger, confusion, denial and shame.
"How embarrassing. I was an educated young person. I knew about the importance of condoms."
She had a Nigerian boyfriend for two years, and was aware of the precautions for HIV-AIDS transmission, but said that after nearly a year of using condoms, she dropped her guard. As the emotional intimacy grew, the concern of a physical threat receded.
Fosca doesn't know if her old boyfriend is still alive.
After learning of her HIV-positive status, she thought about killing herself, and even stood in a kitchen with a knife. But she said God intervened.
"I decided that though HIV may one day kill me physically, I would not allow it to kill me spiritually, psychologically or emotionally," Fosca said. "I made a choice that day that HIV was not going to stop me."
She moved to Seattle and got her master's degree in social work from the University of Washington.
"My career thus far as a social worker has been meaningful. I was a social worker long before I became HIV-positive," Fosca said.
She currently works in child welfare, helping children and families affected by abuse and neglect.
She married in 1994 to someone who understood the disease and risks.
"He was not fearful of my HIV status. He and I chose to have a child together because we learned through my doctor that the risk of transmission was diminished to an extremely low percentage if a medication regime was followed for both mom and baby."
They now have two healthy sons, and her husband remains HIV-negative.
Both parents are raising the bright, sweet boys to be conscious of social issues.
"We have been to Ghana, Germany, Italy and Spain, and next year we will go to Peru," she said. "We volunteer together. This past summer, we helped at a camp for children affected by fetal alcohol syndrome."
Fosca said words can't describe the tragic daily loss of people dying of AIDS. Through Alive with AIDS, she hopes to do her part in making a difference. For more information, go to alivewithaids.com or call 425-923-7656.
She continues to move forward with her goals. Perhaps her new speaking bureau will help make her dream come true.
"I am a proud woman and a proud mommy. I have a passion for humanity and its cultures that I try to experience with my sons through travels. I have a passion for music and dancing. Life truly has its blessings, despite AIDS."
And her hope builds. Fosca said she initially asked God to allow her to live to see her children grow into men. Now she prays to see her grandchildren grow up.
Columnist Kristi O'Harran: 425-339-3451 or oharran@ heraldnet.com.
When this story was posted in February 2006, this was on the front page of PCOL:
Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
| RPCV admits to abuse while in Peace Corps Timothy Ronald Obert has pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a minor in Costa Rica while serving there as a Peace Corps volunteer. "The Peace Corps has a zero tolerance policy for misconduct that violates the law or standards of conduct established by the Peace Corps," said Peace Corps Director Gaddi H. Vasquez. Could inadequate screening have been partly to blame? Mr. Obert's resume, which he had submitted to the Peace Corps in support of his application to become a Peace Corps Volunteer, showed that he had repeatedly sought and obtained positions working with underprivileged children. Read what RPCVs have to say about this case. |
| Why blurring the lines puts PCVs in danger When the National Call to Service legislation was amended to include Peace Corps in December of 2002, this country had not yet invaded Iraq and was not in prolonged military engagement in the Middle East, as it is now. Read the story of how one volunteer spent three years in captivity from 1976 to 1980 as the hostage of a insurrection group in Colombia in Joanne Marie Roll's op-ed on why this legislation may put soldier/PCVs in the same kind of danger. Latest: Read the ongoing dialog on the subject. |
| PC establishes awards for top Volunteers Gaddi H. Vasquez has established the Kennedy Service Awards to honor the hard work and service of two current Peace Corps Volunteers, two returned Peace Corps Volunteers, and two Peace Corps staff members. The award to currently serving volunteers will be based on a demonstration of impact, sustainability, creativity, and catalytic effect. Submit your nominations by December 9. |
| Peace Corps at highest Census in 30 years Congratulations to the Peace Corps for the highest number of volunteers in 30 years with 7,810 volunteers serving in 71 posts across the globe. Of course, the President's proposal to double the Peace Corps to 15,000 volunteers made in his State of the Union Address in 2002 is now a long forgotten dream. With deficits in federal spending stretching far off into the future, any substantive increase in the number of volunteers will have to wait for new approaches to funding and for a new administration. Choose your candidate and start working for him or her now. |
| The Peace Corps Library Peace Corps Online is proud to announce that the Peace Corps Library is now available online. With over 30,000 index entries in 500 categories, this is the largest collection of Peace Corps related stories in the world. From Acting to Zucchini, you can find hundreds of stories about what RPCVs with your same interests or from your Country of Service are doing today. If you have a web site, support the "Peace Corps Library" and link to it today. |
| Friends of the Peace Corps 170,000 strong 170,000 is a very special number for the RPCV community - it's the number of Volunteers who have served in the Peace Corps since 1961. It's also a number that is very special to us because March is the first month since our founding in January, 2001 that our readership has exceeded 170,000. And while we know that not everyone who comes to this site is an RPCV, they are all "Friends of the Peace Corps." Thanks everybody for making PCOL your source of news for the Returned Volunteer community. |
Read the stories and leave your comments.
Some postings on Peace Corps Online are provided to the individual members of this group without permission of the copyright owner for the non-profit purposes of criticism, comment, education, scholarship, and research under the "Fair Use" provisions of U.S. Government copyright laws and they may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner. Peace Corps Online does not vouch for the accuracy of the content of the postings, which is the sole responsibility of the copyright holder.
Story Source: The Herald
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Nigeria; AIDS; HIV
PCOL25121
43