A gay couple decides to adopt a baby girl with HIV who was rejected by 10 families and turns into the most heartwarming story.
Ariel Vijarra, 39, and Damian Pighin, 42, are the first gay couple to marry in the Argentine province of Santa Fe and in 2011; they also made the decision to expand their family.
The Adoption Process Lasted Long
The couple needed to wait around 3 years before they were informed about a newborn girl called Olivia in 2014 who was rejected by numerous other potential families as she was HIV-positive.
The couple was given the opportunity to adopt this baby girl if they wanted to.
This diagnosis didn’t stop the couple from welcoming this adorable baby girl in their home. Today, at the age of 5, Olivia is free of symptoms of the virus.
The two happy fathers both work for a NGO called Acunar Familias that helps couples adopt unwanted children.
Ariel claims he felt an immediate connection with Olivia. When he first looked at her, he felt that she was already a part of their lives.
They held her in their arms while she looked at them with the eyes wide open, without crying. The couple was the first same-sex couple from their province that adopted a baby.
Olivia’s Health Was Improving Daily
When the couple took in the baby when she was only 28 days old, her health started improving and she also started gaining weight. This is because she was responding well to the treatment for the virus she was receiving.
And, several years ago, the couple got the happy news that the child no longer had the virus in her body.
However, this doesn’t mean that the virus was cured since there’s no known cure for HIV yet. The current treatment is able to manage it and help people live a long life.
Functional treatments work in a way that they suppress the virus to very low levels that it can’t be detected or cause problems; however, it’ll still be there.
In 2015, the couple adopted another little girl, Victoria, who will also be celebrating her 5th birthday soon.
Check out some amazing photos by this lovely family below:
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