Pain & Loss, Joy & Hope
Lami is 65 years old.
She first became aware that she was unwell when she was a young, married woman with 4 young children. She was suffering from nerve pain in both feet and had repeated ulcers.
She asked for help from the local, traditional herbalist. Nothing improved.
Eventually she came to Chanchaga village. At the hospital there she was diagnosed with leprosy and given the correct Multi-Drug Therapy.
But it was too late to save her leg. The ulcers and nerve damage were too severe and her left leg had to be amputated.
When she was diagnosed with leprosy her husband left her.
But all was not lost. At Chanchaga she met a man who didn’t care about the fact that she had leprosy. They were married and had a happy life together until he died just a couple of years ago. She still misses him every day.
“I didn’t know anyone with leprosy before I caught it. I believed it was a curse from God”
For a while she chose to separate herself from her children so that they wouldn’t have to live with the stigma of having a mother with leprosy.
Lami completed her treatment for leprosy many years ago but still lives at Chanchaga village. The hospital and the orthopaedic workshop give her the care she needs to stay healthy and to maintain her independence.
The Chanchaga community is incredibly supportive of each other. Self-help groups mean that the community can build one another up and provide for each others needs. The local church is also actively involved in supporting any members of the community who need help.
Lami has suffered so much hardship in her life. She often feels sad thinking about what she has had to go through. But at the same time she is so grateful for the support she receives from The Leprosy Mission.
Thanks to your gifts and prayers Lami can live a safe, healthy, dignified life.
More recently she has started to receive visits from her grandchildren. Just thinking about this, her face lights up in a big smile.
Thank you for helping Lami to put her leprosy behind her and have joy in her life again.