Hidden Lives

'I heard that they give free food and let you stay for free at Anandaban Hospital. You should just stay there. Don’t come back home, it bothers all of us and you no longer have a place here.' 
This was a conversation Leprosy Mission staff overheard between Sultan and his family.  Home is often where your family and loved ones are, but what happens when they no longer want you because you have leprosy?  
Multiple misdiagnoses, a toe falling off from infections and a fearful community has left Sultan without a place to call home.

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Kumar was diagnosed with leprosy when he was 5 years old.   Being so young, the doctors keep him in hospital for the 2 years of his treatment.  After the 2 years, unable to find his family, Kumar continued to live at the hospital.  Growing up in hospitals surrounded by sick patients, doctors and nurses, drawing and painting became Kumar's outlet to finding peace and calm in his life.

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Ayush was born through a homebirth in the comfort of his own home.  At first everything was perfect, but when Ayush started crying a lot and didn't feed properly, his mother knew something was wrong.
Taking him to the hospital, the family was told to abandon his treatment as he would not live for much longer.  However, his mother went against this advice and 12 years later, Ayush continues to be a thriving, curious boy.

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As a teenager, Bibek's diagnosis of leprosy left him rejected by his classmates and frequent hospital visits meant he was never able to finish year 12.  
20 years later, Bibek now has a family and a successful business, but these scars continue to hurt deep.

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Following a series of misdiagnoses that nearly bankrupted the family, Anju was finally diagnosed with leprosy.  After treatment, Anju looked to be getting better, but her symptoms resurfaced and worsened.  With a growing family, Anju could not afford to seek medical treatment.  For the next 20 years, Anju learnt to live with her worsening symptoms.  When her condition reached a point that she could no longer ignore, Anju went to Anandaban Hospital.  There she was faced with tough, life changing choices.

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23 year old Augustino was in so much pain from swelling all over his body, but there was no available medication and the nearest hospital was a few hours away.  Augustino was on medication to treat leprosy and everything was good for awhile, but one day the pain started.  It was so severe he couldn't get out of bed.  The medication should be making him better, so what was going on?

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Ermelinda felt she had nothing to offer her neighbours and friends.  Her physical deformities had left her unsure of herself and afraid that she will infect others.  Hence Ermelinda stayed home and built herself a life isolated from the rest of her community.  But this all changed with a few strategic investments into her life.

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Growing up, Mario watched his grandparents decline and eventually die from complications of leprosy.  He watched when his mother and sister were also diagnosed with leprosy.   Mario became convinced that the disease was passed on through generations even though scientific research tells us otherwise.  
Now it's his turn.  He's not afraid, but the rejection from his community still hurts deep.

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53 yr old Felix has a cool hobby and he's convinced it caused him to get leprosy.   What is the link between his hobby and catching leprosy?

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19 year old Asa has lived in a leprosy colony all her life.  Whilst she does not have leprosy, both Asa's parents had leprosy, which has impacted their ability to earn money.  Now, fresh out of high school, Asa's family is unable to afford the fees to help her attend university.  What will attending university mean for Asa?

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