Raj chose treatment and protected his future
Raj Kumar Harijan was born in a rural village on the border of Nepal where leprosy is common, and the disease has affected his entire working life.
When he started showing symptoms of leprosy, resources were already spread thin. His family owned a small amount of land, but it was divided between Raj and his two siblings, leaving each with barely enough to grow wheat for their own families. He supplemented this by working at a factory in town and taking on various jobs as a daily wage worker, and between all of these things his family was able to scrape by. Eventually, however, it was no longer physically possible for Raj to keep working: he completely lost sensation in his skin, he was developing rashes and ulcers, and the wounds on his hands and feet made them all but useless. He tried everything he could think of, spending much of his savings on ointments and local remedies, but nothing solved the underlying problem. During this time, his wife began taking on various menial jobs to keep the family afloat.
At last, he was referred to the Anandaban hospital, where he received diagnosis, treatment, and transportation all free of charge. He stayed for a total of three months in order to undergo reconstructive surgery, and he also started taking multi-drug therapy.
His recovery has been far from linear, however. When he returned home, he was so much improved that he began skipping his medication. This was fine for a time, but gradually his ulcers began to return. Being away from work for so long had also left lasting impacts on his family. Although his wife took on as much work as she could, one of his daughters also had to drop out of school in order to help support the family, and they began to worry if they would have enough money to pay for wedding expenses and dowries when the time came.
Unfortunately, Raj’s story is not uncommon in his village. Often, people will neglect signs of leprosy for as long as possible in order to keep working, and in the end are forced to have amputations and can no longer work at all. Raj has used his experience, however, to encourage and counsel others who are facing similar situations. For example, his uncle tested positive for leprosy and began taking medication, but after consulting with a local doctor, decided it would be safe for him to stop. He soon began showing symptoms again, however, and Raj urged him to go to Anandaban hospital, where he could undergo more thorough treatment.
You might have to stay in the hospital for a few weeks...but don't think about the missed income opportunity of this period, think how would you walk around and even work for living if they have to amputate your legs if the ulcer spreads?
Raj's doctor
Now, Raj is 40 years old, and optimistic about what the future holds. He is beginning to plan for his daughters’ weddings, and hopes to build a new, concrete house for his family soon. No matter what life throws at him, he continues to work hard to make sure that his family has what they need.