Hidden Lives

The Leprosy Mission Australia

The Leprosy Mission Australia works with people with leprosy, other neglected tropical diseases and disabilities. They are the most marginalised and poorest of the poor. People often hidden from the rest of society.

Their lives might be completely difference to people living in Australia, but they also have amazing life experiences worth sharing. As staff of The Leprosy Mission Australia, we want to uncover what is hidden and share with you the lives of the people we meet throughout our work.

This podcast contains stories about people we've meet during our work who have shared their life journeys with us.

If you want to learn more about leprosy and the work of The Leprosy Mission Australia, please visit: https://www.leprosymission.org.au/

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Society & CultureSociety & Culture

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14 - Home...is where?

14 - Home...is where?

'I heard that they give free food and let you stay for free at Anandaban Hospital. You should just stay there. Don’t come back home, it bothers all of us and you no longer have a place here.' This was a conversation Leprosy Mission staff overheard between Sultan and his family. Home is often where your family and loved ones are, but what happens when they no longer want you because you have leprosy? Multiple misdiagnoses, a toe falling off from infections and a fearful community has left Sultan without a place to call home.Send us a text message to let us know how we're going!

Episodes

14 - Home...is where?

14 - Home...is where?

'I heard that they give free food and let you stay for free at Anandaban Hospital. You should just stay there. Don’t come back home, it bothers all of us and you no longer have a place here.' This was a conversation Leprosy Mission staff overheard between Sultan and his family. Home is often where your family and loved ones are, but what happens when they no longer want you because you have leprosy? Multiple misdiagnoses, a toe falling off from infections and a fearful community has left Sultan without a place to call home.Send us a text message to let us know how we're going!

13 - Painting to heal the hurt of leprosy

13 - Painting to heal the hurt of leprosy

Kumar was diagnosed with leprosy when he was 5 years old. Being so young, the doctors keep him in hospital for the 2 years of his treatment. After the 2 years, unable to find his family, Kumar continued to live at the hospital. Growing up in hospitals surrounded by sick patients, doctors and nurses, drawing and painting became Kumar's outlet to finding peace and calm in his life.Send us a text message to let us know how we're going!

12 - A mother's motivation

12 - A mother's motivation

Ayush was born through a homebirth in the comfort of his own home. At first everything was perfect, but when Ayush started crying a lot and didn't feed properly, his mother knew something was wrong.Taking him to the hospital, the family was told to abandon his treatment as he would not live for much longer. However, his mother went against this advice and 12 years later, Ayush continues to be a thriving, curious boy.Send us a text message to let us know how we're going!

11 - Scars of rejection

11 - Scars of rejection

As a teenager, Bibek's diagnosis of leprosy left him rejected by his classmates and frequent hospital visits meant he was never able to finish year 12. 20 years later, Bibek now has a family and a successful business, but these scars continue to hurt deep.Send us a text message to let us know how we're going!

10 - Loss and love

10 - Loss and love

Following a series of misdiagnoses that nearly bankrupted the family, Anju was finally diagnosed with leprosy. After treatment, Anju looked to be getting better, but her symptoms resurfaced and worsened. With a growing family, Anju could not afford to seek medical treatment. For the next 20 years, Anju learnt to live with her worsening symptoms. When her condition reached a point that she could no longer ignore, Anju went to Anandaban Hospital. There she was faced with tough, life changing choices.Send us a text message to let us know how we're going!

09 - Falling through the cracks

09 - Falling through the cracks

23 year old Augustino was in so much pain from swelling all over his body, but there was no available medication and the nearest hospital was a few hours away. Augustino was on medication to treat leprosy and everything was good for awhile, but one day the pain started. It was so severe he couldn't get out of bed. The medication should be making him better, so what was going on?Send us a text message to let us know how we're going!

08 - A little investment goes a long way

08 - A little investment goes a long way

Ermelinda felt she had nothing to offer her neighbours and friends. Her physical deformities had left her unsure of herself and afraid that she will infect others. Hence Ermelinda stayed home and built herself a life isolated from the rest of her community. But this all changed with a few strategic investments into her life.Send us a text message to let us know how we're going!

07 - The unwanted inheritance

07 - The unwanted inheritance

Growing up, Mario watched his grandparents decline and eventually die from complications of leprosy. He watched when his mother and sister were also diagnosed with leprosy. Mario became convinced that the disease was passed on through generations even though scientific research tells us otherwise. Now it's his turn. He's not afraid, but the rejection from his community still hurts deep.Send us a text message to let us know how we're going!

06 - A cool dad

06 - A cool dad

53 yr old Felix has a cool hobby and he's convinced it caused him to get leprosy. What is the link between his hobby and catching leprosy?Send us a text message to let us know how we're going!

05 - A dream to carry on

05 - A dream to carry on

19 year old Asa has lived in a leprosy colony all her life. Whilst she does not have leprosy, both Asa's parents had leprosy, which has impacted their ability to earn money. Now, fresh out of high school, Asa's family is unable to afford the fees to help her attend university. What will attending university mean for Asa?Send us a text message to let us know how we're going!

04 - Dark clouds in mental health

04 - Dark clouds in mental health

Niraj felt that life was going perfect. He had happily married and had a stable job. But a tragic road accident changed all this. Spiraling into depression Niraj felt that life had completed shattered. Knowledge about mental health is still poor in rural Nepal. How does little community knowledge about mental health affect Niraj and who can support him?Send us a text message to let us know how we're going!

03 - A Second Life

03 - A Second Life

Bahadur was a confident budding engineering student who loved football and was the pride of his parents. Unfortunately a diagnosis of leprosy shattered his dreams and his confidence. Now, years later, Bahadur might finally get a second chance at life.Send us a text message to let us know how we're going!

02 - Challenging Boundaries

02 - Challenging Boundaries

At 25 years old Urmila has 3 children. When her husband passed away she was left with no money and no income. Restricted by traditional beliefs that told her it was not appropriate for women to work and that she needed the support of a husband to make decisions and earn money, when asked to join a self-help group to help her learn how to save money, Urmila initially refused.But since then, much has changed for Urmila after she decided to challenge the boundaries around her life.Send us a text message to let us know how we're going!

01 - Reality is not what it seems

01 - Reality is not what it seems

15 year old Karuna turned up alone to a health clinic with a small discoloured patch on her arm. She has beautiful long black hair, large eyes with long lashes and looked stylish in her long black baggy pants and oversized purple shirt sporting the word PARIS in large letters. She looks just like every other 15 year old, but was she? Why did she turn up alone? Where were her parents? And what was life like for her?Send us a text message to let us know how we're going!