Living with Leprosy: Stories of Resilience and Hope

 As the founder of an NGO working with leprosy patients and their families for over 12 years, I have had the opportunity to meet many individuals who have demonstrated remarkable resilience in the face of adversity. One such person is a lady I met while working in Kondhwa leprosy colony. Curious about her story, I asked her how she contracted leprosy and how her family reacted. She shared that she was in fourth grade when her parents discovered she had leprosy. However, they did not seek treatment for her immediately, as it was not available in the area where she was studying, and the stigma associated with leprosy was very high. It took almost a year for her symptoms to worsen, and her parents finally took her to the government hospital in Pune, Dr. Bandorowala Hospital, where they left her for treatment and never returned to collect her. She was a bright student, but the mental pressure and tension of being alone in the hospital without her parents caused her immense sadness. Her...