Meet the faces of the Leprosy Insights Magazine

Throughout this edition of the Leprosy Insights Magazine, you have seen the faces of persons affected by leprosy, persons with disability, and our in-country staff. Their photos have been used to illustrate the points being made in the articles and to help you to connect with what we were saying.

Of course, there are real people behind those photos, so we wanted to give you a chance to read about their lives so that they become more than just a photo.

Gauri Loniya's Story (Nepal)

Five years ago, Gauri got so sick of hospital wards that she promised herself she would not go near one again. In 2019, Gauri developed wounds in her feet that never fully healed. She visited a nearby health post, who prescribed her an ointment and some medications and sent her on her way.

She used the medication for nearly three months, but it did not heal. After learning about this, her mother recommended her to visit the Shining Hospital, which was nearby to where she lived. At the time of her visit, she still had sensation in her feet. It was perhaps because of this, that the medical officer at Shining Hospital failed to diagnose Gauri with leprosy.

She visited the hospital for another two months, but when her wounds did not quite heal, instead of going back, she went to India for further medication. Just like the hospitals in Nepal, the Indian hospital prescribed her some medication and sent her on her way.

Gauri went back for a second time, when her wound refused to heal, but the doctors gave her the same medicines.

So, for three years, Gauri, took medicines while never quite fully understanding if the medicines she had taken would heal her wounds. It was only when a Female Community Health Volunteer (FCHV) came to visit her house that she was first suspected of having leprosy. The FCHV recommended Gauri visit the skin camp happening in her community, and the very next day, Gauri was diagnosed with leprosy.

I stopped going to any hospitals. I just got tired of doctors prescribing the same medicine over and over again. Those medicines (ones prescribed by doctors in India) are found in my local health post. If they give the same medicines, why do I need to go to them?

Gauri Loniya

Before she developed the wounds in her legs, Gauri used to do tailoring and made enough to contribute to the household. But leprosy took that away from her. Now, she sits in her house and contributes to household chores. The family has a farm and both of her sisters-in-law go to the field regularly for work. For her part, her mother-in-law doesn’t mind that Gauri cannot go to the field because of her wounds, but her sisters-in-law aren’t too happy.

Gauri's husband has supported her, despite the negative comments from his family. In 2024 he moved to India for better job opportunities and Gauri admits that not having him in the family has taken its toll on her.

Even though leprosy has taken away her tailoring, Gauri isn’t quite ready to give up. She believes that if she can get and learn to operate the new models of automatic tailoring machines that don’t require her to strain her legs, she can still work. She also wants to learn new designs and take on more work. She believes if she can do that, she won’t have to listen to her sisters-in-law and if she makes enough, her husband can come back from India.

Sunaina's Story (India)

This is Sunaina. She is 65 years old, and she has been living in a leprosy colony for over 50 years. She has suffered the effects of leprosy, losing fingers on both hands and toes on her foot. Her other foot is currently bandaged because she has an ulcer. She finds it painful to walk and can only do so with a crutch.

She is entirely dependent on her son, who does everything for her. She cannot do very much because of the effects she has suffered from leprosy. Because of her hands, it makes it very difficult to do things.

Sunaina also had three daughters and a husband, but they have all died. She feels very sad at times. Sunaina has been receiving all her treatment from Muzaffarpur Hospital, but others have to lend her the money to go as she cannot afford the bus fee.

When Sunaina goes to Muzaffarpur, there is always a long queue, and after the two-hour journey to get there, queuing for so long makes her even more tired. Even though she has completed the multi-drug therapy and is cured of leprosy, she cannot live anywhere else apart from the leprosy colony because of what people might say.

She was also blind because of the effects of leprosy, but because of the free treatment from Muzaffarpur Hospital, she was given her sight back.

Sital's Story (India)

This is Sital, he has an ulcer on his foot and is an inpatient at Muzaffarpur Hospital. He has been living at the hospital on and off since the 80s. He has come by bus and train to get here.

His foot is badly affected by leprosy, so he needs a stick to walk. Sital can't write as he has never been educated.

He doesn't have enough money to travel back at the moment, so he stays here. Sital stays here for the food, accommodation, and treatment. He also go to the Chapel service on Thursday evenings.

None of his family earns any money.

People where he lives work the land. He and others have all they need and don’t need to work for money. That is their culture. They are dependent on their culture.

Sital does not get any visitors; his son helps his family now.

However, persons with disability can access money from the government, so he is expecting some help with this soon so he can travel back home.

He is not in any pain, and his ulcer is not very painful. But he does struggle to see anything. The drugs he takes for leprosy apparently also affect his vision sometimes. He is here now with the optician to see if he can get his eyes fixed. Sital is really looking forward to getting his vision back. At the moment, his vision is not workable.

Sita is a bit of a joker and has the other patients and staff on the ward laughing at his jokes.