Hidden Lives

Down many bumpy dirt roads and fields of wheat, a long way from the nearest town, at just 20 years old, Rupa has started a successful small business, but life has never been easy.  As a child, Rupa developed a condition that made her look different to other people.  Her relatives told her that nobody would ever want to marry her. Send us Fan Mail

17 year old Noor is from a close knit community.  Several years ago, she stepped on a nail whilst playing at school.  The wound never healed, growing increasingly deep and infected, causing Noor to drop out of school when the smell became too much.  This wound turned out to be the catalyst for a long, confusing journey for Noor and her family, as they sought treatment from large medical centres, w...

Ubed strongly believed in the power of traditional healings.  When he started to see patches on his skin and felt tingling sensations over his body, naturally, he went to see a traditional healer to ask for help to remove the evil spirit plaguing his body.  When this failed, Ubed didn't know who to turn to next. But one time, on a night out, Ubed saw a movie that changed his whole life. Send...

20 year old Rubina worked on a tea plantation plucking tea leaves to earn money to contribute to her large family consisting of her mother, father and 7 siblings. When a side of her face started to swell, droop, become paralysed and her eye couldn't close properly, Rubina was terrified.  She didn't understand why this was happening to her and she was scared to let other people see her fa...

When Saru received a late diagnosis of leprosy, her fingers had already started to become deformed.  She became very self conscious about her looks, unsure about herself and isolated herself in her home.  She needed encouragement and work to regain her confidence. But a self-help group and the gift of a little piglet turned that all around for her. How did a self-help group and a simple gift of a...

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 coul...

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. Send us Fan Mail

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...

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. Send us...

'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...

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? Send us Fan Mail

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...

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. Send us Fan Mail

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? Send us Fa...

At 25 years old Urmila has 3 children.  When her husband passed away she was left with no money and no income.  Restricted by traditional beliefs that told her it was not appropriate for women to work and that she needed the support of a husband to make decisions and earn money, when asked to join a self-help group to help her learn how to save money, Urmila initially refused. But since then, much...

Bahadur was a confident budding engineering student who loved football and was the pride of his parents.  Unfortunately a diagnosis of leprosy shattered his dreams and his confidence.  Now, years later, Bahadur might finally get a second chance at life. Send us Fan Mail

Niraj felt that life was going perfect.  He had happily married and had a stable job.  But a tragic road accident changed all this.  Spiraling into depression Niraj felt that life had completed shattered.  Knowledge about mental health is still poor in rural Nepal.  How does little community knowledge about mental health affect Niraj and who can support him? Send us Fan Mail

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? Send us Fan Mail

15 year old Karuna turned up alone to a health clinic with a small discoloured patch on her arm.  She has beautiful long black hair, large eyes with long lashes and looked stylish in her long black baggy pants and oversized purple shirt sporting the word PARIS in large letters.  She looks just like every other 15 year old, but was she?   Why did she turn up alone?  Where were her parents? And what...