MADURAI: Baby shower for a rescued HIV-infected pregnant woman of Coimbatore, who is suffering from mental illness and was abandoned by her husband, was performed at a camp in Palanganatham by volunteers.
According to sources, the woman was wandering on the streets along the district border last month and was rescued by the volunteers of an NGO. She was sheltered at a temporary rescue camp for persons with mental illness at Palanganatham. She was abandoned by her husband a few years ago and was diagnosed with HIV when she was in Coimbatore, they added.
She was soon found on the streets at Palani in Dindigul district, added sources, mentioning that she reportedly sold flowers there and was into sex work, before being rescued in Madurai. It was also found that she had been at different shelter homes in various places, including Madurai, they said.
The woman, who is battling with some sort of mental illness, is now pregnant with her second child and expressed her desire to dress up and have a baby shower function for herself, told a guardian at the camp.
The ceremony was arranged with the help of a few NGO volunteers.
The volunteers and a few women inmates from among the 55 persons with mental illnesses at the camp smeared sandalwood paste on her cheeks, adorned her hands with bangles. She, along with the gathering, had a brief dance party as well, the guardian said.