Living with Illness: Melissa’s Story – Living with HIV

This powerful and eye opening picture book uses the first-person testimony of Melissa, a child living with HIV. Melissa explains what HIV is, how she was diagnosed, the medication she takes and the physical effect of the virus. We read about her fear of telling people and the stigma that made her feel early on that her condition must be kept secret.

Melissa explores everyday relatable circumstances; school, family and talks in depth about her friendships. The open and clear text encourages students to empathise with other children’s differences and recognises the similarities between their own lives and hers.

The BAFTA award-winning stories were originally produced as animations for the BBC. Aimed at children aged 9 and up, these powerful and evocative stories have now been captured in book form as rich, visual testimonies of the impact an illness has on a child’s daily life and how they cope and are able to enjoy the life that they have.