Ekaterina 18 years old, Brest region, MDR-TB patient at the children’s department of the Republican Scientific and Practical Centre for Pulmonology and TB, Minsk, Belarus

I have a mother who is ill with TB and has a very resistant form of the disease. Before I went to hospital, I lived with my father and his new family. In April 2011 I got a heavy cold and started to cough. After treatment for pneumonia, it didn’t get any better, so I had another examination done and they found I had drug-resistant TB. I have been receiving treatment for almost a year now and feel well, but I am worried that I will have to miss the next college admission tests this year, as I will still be taking the tablets. When I started the treatment, I had pains in my joints, as well as headaches and nausea, but now the symptoms are more bearable. I wish I was at home with more varied food, as we are not able to cook here or prepare the meals that we like.