On weekends and for festivals and family functions, the brothers travel back to their village to be with their wider family. Their parents struggle financially in low wage jobs but work hard to ensure their sons receive a good education.
Over the course of 12 months, Ram noticed that he was starting to lose sensation in his right hand, and his skin was dry and pale. Over many months, he ignored the symptoms and tried to keep it a secret, hoping things would improve. As he gradually lost sensitivity in his hand, it became harder to hide, even affecting his ability to hold a pen and write in class.
He visited a nearby clinic, where he was examined, and the medics suspected it might be leprosy. He was referred to Lepra and the city’s hospital for treatment, where he was given his diagnosis and was started on multidrug therapy (MDT).
He returned to his residential school, where he had no choice but to explain his period of absence and the follow-up appointments that he would need to attend. As the school learnt of his leprosy diagnosis however, he was immediately expelled, fearing that leprosy may infect the whole school.
As Lepra’s care team learnt about Ram’s situation, they contacted representatives from the district’s National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP), where they were able to arrange advocacy for Ram. Although initially reluctant, the intervention from Lepra and the NLEP team was able to assure the school authorities that leprosy does not carry a high risk of infection and once treated, it is no longer possible to pass the infection on to others.
Now able to resume his studies, Ram is once again looking forward to his journey ahead, without fear of the physical, social or emotional impact of his diagnosis.
