Fatima:
In patriarchal communities where the man is the first family member and the women always comes second, deficiency and illness in women is counted as a crime, a sin. You’re always under the gaze of your husband and his parents. My name is Fatima,l am from Iran, I am a carrier of Haemophilia. I have two sons who both suffer from the severe type of Haemophilia (type A). Most of my problems were over a long time period. So much bleeding that it usually lasted for ten days. I was twenty years old when I became a mother and I had two stillborn children. I recall the doctor saying, “she too is bleeding”.
I had an abortion once but because of the laws in my country at that time abortion was illegal. My doctor did it secretly in her office. After that I was bleeding for forty days and as a result needed another operation. A few months later I saw my doctor on TV. She was under arrest because a women died in her office whilst having an abortion. I thought that it could have been me.
With all of my problem by bleeding and my children illnesses and my husband harassment and also without commitment versus of life and our children, I decided to be a strong woman and took care of my children.
From hemophilia office called me and asked me for helping to the other patients in my eparchy.
After I got permission from my husband which it was really hard, I started working. It was an office in blood transfusion center and every things goes well utill our office was a best office in our country .
My husband left me and my children, now I had responsibility of our life ,my children and I. I have worked in hemophilia office and subsistence by marketing and I interd to university.
To my children problems added one more thing, Hepatit C! And it was really break my heart . Also most of the hemophilia children had this promlem too, Hepatit C.
Now I am a member of hemophilia society and for a while I was president .
Now my children are under treatment for Hepatit C, I hope they will be well.
Hepatitis society of Iran invited me to helping as a internationally.
I want be useful for myself, my children and also the other people in the word, and always only GOD was helping me.
With respect
Fatima Sheidaei
From Iran