Why I love my job - Quote 19 of 20

“Buya.”

“Buya,” loosely translated, means “come.”

The 2 year-old girl in pink who was supposed to "buya" was carrying a gigantic bag of puffed corn that, if empty, might be able to contain her. She was shoveling the junk food into her small mouth with noteworthy determination.


When her brother said this word, the girl protested but did not resist too vigorously, for fear of spilling. With some degree of effort, the boy, about 4 years old, managed to pick her up and carry her toward the phlebotomy room. (She did not know where she was heading, or perhaps she woud have deprioritized her prized salty snack.)

The brother would have had no chance of lifting her had her growth not been stunted by illness. Undersized children are all too commonplace in a pediatric HIV clinic.The family-sized bag of corn will no doubt add some plump. A mouthful may even make the blood draw hurt less.