A lot has happened in my life since I was diagnosed with HIV and TB. I'm an African woman in my 30s and I was diagnosed only last year. Basically, at the moment because of the HIV situation, my marriage broke up and it had a very bad effect on my immigration status... I came to this country to join my partner—that is the reason why I migrated from Africa to the UK. At that time I was very excited because I had never been out of the country before and also, I was excited because I was coming to join my husband.

Life was good...until I became very sick in April 2008. After the diagnosis it came out that I was HIV positive and also had TB ...and my health had really deteriorated, and from this result the attitude of my husband changed completely. At that time I was really sick, my CD4 count was 54 and at the same time the right side of my lung was full of water... and because I was very weak they could not have me on the anti-retroviral treatment...

They also did a test on him, and he came out negative. And after that, his attitude towards me really changed because he just blamed me directly... In fact the day I told my husband that I'm HIV positive, he never came close to me and as far as he was concerned, our marriage ended... The situation with him rejecting me for my HIV diagnosis got so bad that I had to leave his house... I was taken to a refuge, called Sojourners Women's Refuge... and that's where I am now. I'm still in the refuge...

Social services told me they will support me until the day I will be able to support myself, but right at the moment, my ex-husband went to the Home Office... He told the Home Office that I left the house and that he doesn't know my whereabouts and that he is withdrawing me as his dependant. You see, I married my husband in Kenya, but here in the UK my status was 'dependent of a work-permit holder'. And he reported to the Home Office that the relationship no longer existed and that I was no longer his dependent...And from there, from that moment, they curtailed my Leave to Remain.