Tues 8th October

Hello there my friends.....

So to continue with the stories of the children. Today it is my emotional little friend Diana. 

Diana is 12 years old and has been at the Hospice now 7 years. Diana I must admit is one of my favourites. She was the first child to befriend me and when I first arrived used to draw me lots of pictures. Diana is a very emotional girl and if she's upset about something she will completely blank anyone who talks to her, and I usually never do find out what was wrong, but, though, when she's in a good mood (which sadly is not as often as I'd like these days) she's a really fun friendly playful little friend. 

Now Diana never knew her parents who were both HIV positive they both died when she was a baby and again it was her mother she contracted the illness from. Diana has an older sister but when she got married she went with her husband to live with her father in law and had a child of her own and she was unable to care for Diana anymore which is the situation which led to her living here at the Hospice. She has grandparents but they are very old and unable to care for her. 

Diana never gets any visitors at all & it seems has been completely abandoned by her family- no doubt the answer to and including having HIV to why she's such an emotionally troubled girl. Actually I'm surprised the rest of the kids aren't affected the way Diana is by the events in their lives. Although that will likely change as they all grow older. 

If it were possible to adopt Diana and bring her back to England I would but I don't actually think she would want that. She's gradually distanced herself from me for reasons not known and is never happy to see me anymore like she used to be or draw pictures for me like when I first arrived, which is something I've found quite sad. 

Bonds & friendships formed & broken are some of those themes of life shared by all of us.

I really hope life eventually comes together for Diana although her prospects, to be honest seem bleak to me (finding a husband, and having a family of her own) but nonetheless are possible. Maybe she will find happiness & see an end to pains that trouble her little heart & mind. I hope so, I really do. 

Stuart :) x

p.s. Diana's not an easy one to get a pic of by herself so, here she is second from left :)