No child should have their childhood stolen by leprosy ()

Sadly, this is what happened to Rhitik. He is still in Grade 5, even though he’s 13 — just one year ahead of his 10-year-old sister. Because nobody knew he had leprosy, he spent a lot of time in hospital, with doctors trying to understand what was making him suffer. No child should have to go through something like that. 

 

Around 4 years ago, Rhitik found an ulcer on his right big toe. It stopped him from doing a lot of things. Rhitik loves to play cricket and football — but it became difficult to particiapte. His friends would ask why he couldn’t play with them, and he had to tell them he was injured. It’s been years now since he was able to join in with them, and it makes Rhitik upset that he is unable to play. 

 

When his ulcer didn’t heal after time, his parents took him to a hospital. The wound had become so severe, it went right down to the bone. Part of his toe needed to be amputated to save his foot — but eventually, the ulcer came back. 

 

 

Doctors thought it might be cancer, or a skin condition. He was checked for cancer, and given a course of antibiotics to treat the ulcer. It seemed to be working — but once the course ran out, the ulcer came right back. 

 

Finally, the doctors found the problem — leprosy had infected the bone in his foot. Rhitik travelled to The Leprosy Mission Anandaban Hospital where the the specialist doctors there were able to give him proper treatment. He had surgery to remove the infected bone and given the crucial Multi-Drug Therapy (MDT) to cure the leprosy. He’s now in the last month of MDT, and he is well on the way to recovery. 

 

No child should have their childhood stolen by leprosy. Children like Rhitik should be able to play football with their friends, and not worry about hospital visits. They deserve uninterrupted education, and the freedom and happiness of childhood. Imagine what a difference it makes when leprosy is found earlier, and treatment can begin before injuries like Rhitik’s occur! 

 

 

When you give a Gift of Love, you are helping kids like Rhitik keep their childhood safe and happy. A School Screening can help identify leprosy early and get them the treatment they need before leprosy causes lots of damage. Physiotherapy helps them get back on their feet, able to run around and play with their friends again.  

 

Rhitik still needs a little more time to heal, but he is excited for the future. He can’t wait to get back to school and play with all his friends. 

 

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