Patient Stories: Your Gifts at Work

Mitano - Outcast to Entrepreneur

Mitano, age 55, had leprosy. His family abandoned him; they were too ashamed to be associated with someone with this disease. That is the tragic power of the stigma of leprosy. Rejected by those he loved, Mitano traveled 250 miles to a place where he could eke out an existence begging for food. Read more.

Amos - Training and Care Make a Lifesaving Difference

A boil on a young son's chest wouldn't normally receive much notice, but it set off alarm bells for Amos' dad. "I saw a poster about Buruli ulcer," he explains. "When I saw the swelling on Amos' chest, I suspected Buruli ulcer because the poster said that's how it begins." Read more.

Prisca - A Little Girl Cured, A Mother's Burden Eased

Little four-year-old Prisca had a spot on her left knee. No one knew what it was, but her mom, Hélène, wasn't worried. It didn't seem to bother Prisca and she never complained. But then, the spot turned into an ugly, open wound. Her mother thought traditional African medicine might heal the angry sore, but it looked very serious. "My daughter's leg was going to waste away because I didn't know the medicine for this disease," says Hélène. So, she took Prisca to the ALM-supported hospital in Taabo in the Ivory Coast. Read more.

Manjur - Replacing Despair with Healing and Hope

Eleven-year-old Manjur stood on his tip toes to edge himself onto the plastic chair in front of the social worker at an ALM-supported hospital in Nepal. Manjur must have contracted leprosy early in his life; the number of scaly lesions covering his back means his case is severe. Without careful treatment, the disease could result in injuries that lead to permanent disability. Read more.

Lizalou - Restoring Lives and Communities

Surrounded by lush greenery and rice paddies, Bicol Sanitarium in the Philippines stands apart – a community separated from neighbors not only by distance, but by years of stigma against people affected by leprosy. Read more.