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NOW with Bill Moyers

Transcript - Hard Facts - Living and Dying with AIDS - Margaret

MARGARET, KENYA

Jamila Paksima (NOW Producer): I stayed for another day in Kenya and by chance met the one person whose courage that would touch me the most of this journey.

Caregiver: We have a bedridden client here and they are inviting us to come and see her.

Paksima: Hello, how are you?

Margaret: Fine.

Paksima: Margaret Wambuka is 30 years old. When her husband died she never found out why. Now she is dying.

Caregiver: She wants you to see everything, she's very open.

Paksima: Six days, five countries and dozens of AIDS patients but nothing could prepare me for the impact of the time I'd share with Margaret.

(To Margaret) I want to thank you because it took courage for you to show me yourself.

Margaret (translated): She's not afraid because she's already like this and wants to show herself to people to help other people.

Paksima: Margaret had been shunned by the community but here in the Kabera slums she found people to feed her and offer care.

(To Margaret): You're living with this thing. It's in your body. It's going to kill you. What do you want to say about HIV to help stop this?

Margaret (translated): I would tell them to go down there and get tested.

Paksima: Is there anything else Margaret wants people in America to know?

Margaret: Tell them to help me.

Paksima: When our meeting was over Margaret got dressed with the assistance of her caregivers and decided to walk me out.

Caregiver: She says she's walking like a new woman. She says she doesn't care what you think of her.

Paksima: She is the most gracious hostess and warrior I met on this trip.

(To Margaret): Goodbye Margaret, thank you so much.

Margaret: Goodbye.

Paksima: Margaret died a month after we said goodbye.