AIDS Na Ekum Abofra Sammy!

NÁ ABOFRA Sammy Kushnick awofo, Jerrold ne Helen nnim sɛ AIDS na ayɛ wɔn ba kumaa no. Ɔkwan bɛn so na ɔyare a ɛyɛ hu yi betumi ayɛ abofra a wadi mfe abiɛsa a wɔdɔ no na wohwɛ no yiye wɔ saa abusua a woyɛ Yudafo yi mu?

Ɔyare no ho ɔbenfo bi ka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ: “Onya fii mogya a wɔde maa no no mu.”

Kushnick abusua no kae sɛ: “Na yennim sɛ woama no mogya.” Na wonnim sɛ wɔde mogya a nnipa 13 de mae ama wɔn babarima no mpɛn 20 ansa na ɔrefi ayaresabea hɔ. Jerry Kushnick ka kyerɛɛ Nyan! akyiri yi sɛ mogya a wɔde maa no no dodow bɛyɛ efi atete ketewaa biako kosi atere kɛse biako.

Anyɛ yiye koraa no, emu biako​—a ebia wɔka kyerɛɛ nea ɔde mae no sɛ ɛbɛyɛ akyɛde a ebegye obi nkwa​—no, bɛyɛɛ akyɛde a ekum obi.

Wɔwoo Sam ne ne nuabea Sara a ɔne no yɛ nta bere a aka adapɛn ason na wɔn awo ankasa adu so wɔ August 19, 1980 mu. Na wɔn baanu nyinaa ntumi nhome yiye na na nyarewa afoforo a ɛtaa yɛ nkokoaa a wɔn awo ankasa annu so ansa na wɔwoo wɔn no haw wɔn, nanso wɔn ho tɔɔ wɔn. Wɔn awofo a na wɔn koma atɔ wɔn yam no de Sara kɔɔ fie bere a onyaa adapɛn asia no, na wɔde Sammy nso kɔɔ fie bere a onyaa adapɛn ason no. Wɔn agya kae sɛ: “Yesusuw sɛ yɛde mmofra baanu a wɔwɔ ahoɔden na ɛrekɔ fie; yɛn ani gyee kɛse sɛ yɛn nsa kaa wɔn baanu nyinaa. Wonyinii fɛ so.”

Sammy maame kae sɛ: “Sam antumi anyin ntɛm te sɛ Sara, nanso wɔka kyerɛɛ yɛn sɛ mmarimaa ntumi nyin ntɛmntɛm te sɛ mmeawa.”

Afei nsɛnnennen afoforo fii ase sɔree. Ɛde rekɔ 1982 awiei no, ɔpakum a na entumi nnyae bɔɔ Sam. Wɔ February mu no, ɔyaree n’aso ma enti na ɔnom aduru a ekum ɔyare mmoawa. Ne yam tui nanso oduruyɛfo no susuw sɛ aduru a ekum mmoawa no na ɛma ɛbaa saa.

Kushnick abusua no kae sɛ wɔnyɛ ho nhwehwɛmu ahorow nanso nea nnuruyɛfo no hui ara ne sɛ na ne mogya so atew kakra. Oduruyɛfo a ɔhwɛ mmofra no kae sɛ eyi kyerɛ sɛ Sam nipadua no mu tumi a ɛko tia ɔyare no ano yɛ den kɛse. Akyiri yi wohui sɛ ɛyɛ sɛnkyerɛnne a ɛkyerɛ sɛ biribi asɛe wɔ ne nipadua no mu tumi a ɛko tia ɔyare no ho.

Afei Sam anom yɛɛ kuru. Ɔyare foforo bi kaa no na afei atiridii a antumi annyae da bɔɔ no. Ne maame kae sɛ: “Na onni biribiara ho anigye​—na wayɛ mmerɛw kɛse.” Afei Kwasida bi n’ano fii ase yɛɛ bruu. Ne maame kae sɛ: “Mede no kɔɔ ayaresabea. Wɔtwee ne mogya na esiane mframa pa a na enni mu nti, na n’ani ayɛ tumm.”

“AIDS Ayɛ No”

Bere a wofii ɔdan a wɔyɛ mogya mu nhwehwɛmu wom no mu bɛka kyerɛɛ yɛn no, na ɛyɛ awerɛhosɛm. Sam anya emuyare (pneumonia) bi a wɔfrɛ no Pneumocystis carinii. Jerry ka sɛ oduruyɛfo no kyerɛkyerɛɛ mu sɛ: “Sɛ yɛka sɛ Pneumocystis carinii, yɛkyerɛ AIDS.” Hwɛ ehu ara a ɛkaa yɛn! Helen ka sɛ oduruyɛfo no kae sɛ “anidaso biara nni hɔ sɛ obenya nkwa​—ɛyɛ asɛm a ɛfa bere tenten a ɔde bɛtra ase ho na mmom ne ho rentɔ no.” Wɔ bɛyɛ adapɛn abiɛsa akyi no, abofra ketewaa Samuel Kushnick wui.

Ne papa ka sɛ: “Na nnuruyɛfo pii wɔ hɔ a wosusuw yɛn ho. Na wɔn mu biako ne Oduruyɛfo Arthur Ammann a ɔyɛ AIDS a ɛyɛ nkurɔfo denam mogya a wɔde ma so ho ɔbenfo a Hushniek abusua no kɔfaa no fii San Francisco bae bere a aka dakoro na Sam awu no. Na Oduruyɛfo Ammann aka abofra bi a wadi asram 20 a AIDS a wonya fi mogya a wɔde ma mu kum no wɔ 1982 mu no ho asɛm. Helen ka sɛ ɔkaa Sam ho asɛm sɛ: “AIDS ayɛ no, na onya fii mogya a wɔde ma mu. Ɛdenam n’awo ho kyerɛwtohɔ a mahwehwɛ mu so no, metumi aka sɛ ɛyɛ saa nnipa baanum a wɔde mogya maa no no yi mu biako​—eyinom na ɛsɛ sɛ wodi kan hwehwɛ wɔn.” Sam papa ka kyerɛɛ Nyan! sɛ na nnuruyɛfo no “mpɛ sɛ wɔbɛkyerɛw AIDS wɔ ne wu ho adansedi krataa no so,” nanso awiei koraa no, wɔyɛɛ saa. Helen de kaa ho sɛ:

“Na ayaresabea ne mogyakorabea adwumayɛfo a wɔkɔɔ so ka kyerɛɛ yɛn sɛ ɛrentumi mma sɛ Sam nyaa AIDS fii mogya a wɔde maa no no mu no ama yɛaka yɛn ano atom. Afei yehui sɛ na Sam ne abofra a ɔto so anan a nea nnuruyɛfo frɛ no mmofra AIDS akum no wɔ Los Angeles wɔ asram awotwe mu.”

Kushnick abusua no gye di sɛ mmofra a mogya a wɔde ma ama AIDS ayɛ wɔn no pii wɔ hɔ sen nea akontaabu no da no adi no.

So Bere Ne Bere Mu Nkitahodi Ma Ɔyare No Yɛ Obi?

Helen kae sɛ: “Mewɔ anidaso sɛ obiara bɛma ne koma atɔ ne yam na ama wɔate ase sɛ aboawa a ɔde ɔyare no ba no na wɔnam ɔbarima ne ɔbea nna so nya, ne sɛ ɔyare no tumi yɛ obi denam mogya a wɔde ma nso so, na sɛ ɛyɛ ntasu ne nneɛma afoforo na ɛma ɔyare no yɛ obi a, anka yɛn nyinaa awuwu.” Na Kushnick abusua no nnim sɛ AIDS ayɛ Sam enti wɔanyɛ ahobammɔ ho nhyehyɛe titiriw biara.

Nanso dɛn na nhwehwɛmu a wɔyɛɛ akyiri yi ma ɛdaa adi? Helen buae sɛ: “Ɛdaa adi sɛ ɔyare no nyɛɛ yɛn ɛ. Yenni biribi a ɛba mogya no mu a ɛko tia ɔyare no​—nea ɛkyerɛ sɛ yennyaa aboawa no mpo. Na ɔyare no nyɛɛ Sara nso ɛ.”

Esiane sɛ Kushnick abusua no asɛm no atrɛw kɛse nti, wɔate nsɛm afi mmusua afoforo a na wonnim sɛ wɔn ba anya AIDS ma enti wɔn nso wɔanyɛ nhyehyɛe soronko biara no hɔ. Nhwehwɛmu ahorow a wɔayɛ ama ada adi sɛ ɔyare no nyɛɛ saa mmusua yi mufo. Helen kae sɛ: “Mprempren nea wonim ne sɛ aboawa a ɔde ɔyare no ba no ntumi ntra ase nkyɛ bere a onni nipadua no mu no, na biribiara kyerɛ sɛ bere ne bere mu nkitahodi rentumi mma ɔyare no nyɛ obi.”

Jerry susuw sɛ asɛm a ɛhaw nnipa a wɔyare AIDS mmusua ankasa ne sɛ ebia wɔn na wɔbɛma ɔyare a ebekum no no ayɛ no​—nea nipadua no mu tumi a ɛko tia ɔyare a AIDS ama ano abrɛ ase rentumi nko ntia no. Enti ɛsɛ sɛ abusua no muni a ɔde bokiti guare no “de aduru twiw mu ansa na nea AIDS ayɛ no no de aguare.” Sɛ wobɔ waw anaasɛ influensa ayɛ wo a, ɛhaw wo: So me na mɛma wawu denam ɔyare yi a mede bɛsan no no so?”

Abofra a Waka No

Bere a nkurɔfo a wɔwɔ mmotafowa sukuu a Sara kɔ no mu tee sɛ AIDS ayɛ Sam no, ehu kaa wɔn mu binom. Jerry kae sɛ: “Bere a nnuruyɛfo ne Los Angeles Mansin Asoɛe a ɛhwɛ akwahosan ho nsɛm so ka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ wɔayɛ Sara ho nhwehwɛmu na ɔwɔ ahoɔden na ɔyare no nyɛɛ no akyi mpo no, wɔampene ara sɛ wɔbɛma wasan aba sukuu.”

Kushnick abusua no yii Sara kɔɔ mmotafowa sukuu bi a ɛwɔ asɔre a wɔn ankasa kɔ no mu faako a wɔka kyerɛɛ awofo kakraa bi a wɔampene no sɛ: “Sara bɛtra ha. Sɛ wo ba no kɔ a, yebegye ɔfoforo. Sara nyare. Yerempam no no.”

Kushnick abusua no susuw sɛ ɛrenkyɛ wobenya mmofra mpempem pii a wɔwɔ abusuafo a wɔyare AIDS. Helen bisae sɛ: “Dɛn na yɛbɛyɛ? So ɛsɛ sɛ yɛde nkyerɛkyerɛ titiriw bi ma wɔn nyinaa wɔ ho?

Asiane No Reyɛ Kɛse

AIDS ho sɛnkyerɛnne betumi agye mfe anum anaasɛ nea ɛboro saa ansa na ada adi, enti obiara nnim nnipa dodow a wɔnenam hɔ a wɔanya ɔyare yi? Ɛhaw Jerry sɛ nguaman a wɔde nnubɔne di dwuma bɛma ɔyare no ayɛ mmarima a wɔn nso bɛma ayɛ wɔn yerenom a awiei koraa no, ɛdenam nyinsɛn so no, wɔn nso de bɛsan wɔn mma no. Ɔte nka sɛ ɛsɛ sɛ wɔma nkurɔfo hu asiane a ebetumi afi nnipa pii a wɔne wɔn nya ɔbarima ne ɔbea nna mu kyɛfa mu aba no.

Kushnick abusua no ka sɛ wosusuwii ho anibere so sɛ ebia ɛsɛ sɛ wɔma ɔmanfo te wɔn asɛm no anaasɛ ɛnsɛ sɛ wɔyɛ saa. Ɛnyɛ awofo a wɔwɔ wɔn tebea no mu nyinaa na wɔpɛe sɛ wɔbɛma nkurɔfo ate sɛ AIDS ayɛ wɔn ba na abofra Sara osuahu no kyerɛkyerɛ nea enti a ɛte saa no mu. Helen kae sɛ: “Yedii ho nkɔmmɔ na yesii gyinae sɛ sɛ yɛanyɛ saa a, yɛbɛyɛ nnipa a wɔboa awudi. Yɛtee nka sɛ ɛsɛ sɛ yɛma awofo afoforo hu ɔhaw ahorow a mogya a wɔde ma betumi de aba no.”

Wɔaka wɔn asɛm no wɔ atesɛm nkrataa ne nsɛmma nhoma ahorow mu wɔ wiase nyinaa a Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal ne People nsɛmma nhoma no ka ho. Wogye di sɛ wɔagye nnipa pii nkwa denam nkurɔfo adwene a wɔtwe si dwuma a mogya a wɔde ma betumi adi wɔ AIDS a wɔma ɛyɛ nkurɔfo no mu no so.

Wɔte nka sɛ mogya a wɔde sie abɛyɛ adwuma kɛse a mogyakorabea adwuma no na ɛyɛ ho nhyehyɛe no mu fã kɛse. Helen nso kyerɛkyerɛɛ mu sɛ: “Yɛpɛ sɛ nkurɔfo hu sɛ ɛnyɛ ehu ne ɔyare yi ano aduru. Sika a wɔde bɛma ma wɔde ayɛ nhwehwɛmu ma wɔanya ano aduru ne ade a ɛsɛ sɛ wɔyɛ.”

Kushnick abusua no aba ɔman television so wɔ United States, Australia ne England.