During a routine pregnancy examination at a clinic near her home in Moshi, Tanzania, Tatu Msangi was shocked to learn that she was HIV-positive. She was scared for her health and the health of her baby, but determined to fight to keep her daughter HIV-free.

With the help of the health counselors at the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC) and the work of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF), Tatu was able to access the medicine and care she needed so that she didn’t pass the virus to her baby, both during her pregnancy and in the critical weeks and months following birth.

Now, Tatu works as a nurse at the same hospital where she received care, counseling other HIV-positive pregnant women and mothers. We recently spoke with her to learn more about how her journey helped shape her nursing career.