An Argentine couple who were the first gays to get married in their province have told how the “connection was immediate” when they adopted an HIV-positive baby.
The move came after the youngster was rejected by 10 other families.
Ariel Vijarra, 39, and Damian Pighin, 42, from the city of Rosario in the north-eastern Argentine province of Santa Fe began looking at adoption options in 2011.
The gay couple, the first to be married in their province, had several years of disappointment before receiving a call in 2014 informing them about a 28-day-old baby born with HIV.
According to the couple, 10 families had previously rejected the baby girl but they did not hesitate to accept her into their family.
Ariel told local media: “As soon as I saw her, I felt that she was part of my life. The connection was immediate.
“We held her in our arms, gave her the bottle and she looked at us with her eyes wide open without crying.”
The little girl, who has been named Olivia, responded very well to the HIV treatment and she immediately started to gain weight.
In 2015, a woman who heard about the couple’s story wanted them to adopt her baby girl and they welcomed Victoria into their lives.
Eighteen months later, the family also received the fantastic news that Olivia’s tests show that she no longer has HIV.
Later this month, Olivia will become five years old and Victoria will celebrate the same birthday in February.
Ariel Vijarra and Damian currently work for the NGO ‘Acunar Familias’ which helps couples adopt unwanted children.
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Story By: Jonathan Macias, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News
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