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Mexican boy who survived the H1N1: A year of glory to ridicule
By Sofia Miselem (AFP) - 22 hours ago
LA GLORIA, Mexico - In his six years Edgar Hernandez has a statue with his name and a history of having been submitted in due course, as the first case of H1N1 in Mexico to survive the epidemic that broke out and frightened the world, but now is ridiculed by his neighbors.
Hernandez, known then as "the child zero" or the "miracle child", you see that the fame he won and that meant some progress for La Gloria, has become teasing at school and his family complains of Rumors of the neighbors, who now doubt that has been ill.
"You all know me, to those who know nothing of me. But the school also make fun of me, they say 'the sick child,'" says Edgar.
The face of La Gloria, with modest homes in dusty streets and where economic activity is nil, it changed this year: the main road, which was a gap difficult to navigate, looks newly paved.
The town of 3,000 inhabitants, 280 km east of Mexico City, appeared on the world map in late April 2009 when he triggered a health alert for the emergence of a new human influenza virus in Mexico, causing atypical pneumonia and death.
Since the declaration of a health alert, the April 23, 2009, Mexico accounted for more than 72,000 infections with H1N1, of whom 1200 died. Worldwide deaths totaling 16,900.
"Yes, good things have happened, they put the road, in houses that were dirt floor and put them firmly, 250 people give money (federal social program) opportunities, we have two doctors and medicine to the people" said Maria del Carmen Hern?ndez, a mother of Edgar, in summarizing the past year.
The woman, slight figure, a timid and at 35 years just recently completed primary education, she is accustomed to dealing with the press, doctors, researchers, politicians and curious from around the world who wanted to meet Edgar, mainly in the months after the health alert.
Edgar, screaming and jumping but is silent with shame before a camera, he insists: "At school they make fun of me, I say the governor is my uncle, who gives me money. Only girls talk to me."
Veracruz Gov. Fidel Herrera, sometimes takes Edgar to accompany him at public events. He was the president who ordered the statue of the child do now placed in the public square La Gloria.
"People talk a lot of people say that the governor give us money, which gave us houses in Veracruz and Xalapa. But it is true that sometimes send us some money, but does not keep. Today my husband went to work from early morning into the countryside to stay, we will pay 100 pesos, about eight dollars, said Maria del Carmen Hern?ndez.
The woman breaks into tears, recognizes that life in La Gloria has become a hell for the gossip of the neighbors and have even thought about leaving.
"But I tell my husband that no, here we have this house. I do not go to the street, we are judged, we are treated worse than, say there were no such illness, it was all a lie, that I made up my child was sick. But I do not care, my child is well and that is important, "he adds.
On the street, Maria Zenaida Mora, a neighbor, confirms the existence of rumors and jokes about Edgar and his family.
"Yes he was sick, it is not fair to make fun of it. Most people are coming benefited from government assistance and was following the child's help arrived before we were forgotten," he says.