Thank you for stopping tragedies like Alfredu’s

You may be familiar with Alfredu’s story from our current appeal. His family thought he was cursed. They were so afraid of him they abandoned him in a rundown shack for 15 years.

They didn’t understand Alfredu was ill with a curable disease – leprosy.

Castro, a worker from The Leprosy Mission, was utterly shocked when he saw Alfredu’s condition. Alfredu had badly infected ulcers. Rats had chewed off his toes. Alfredu was rushed to hospital… but sadly, it was too late. Alfredu passed away at age 65. Castro says, “Alfredu’s story makes me see how important it is to speak up. To raise awareness of what leprosy is.”

Your support helps to stop more people from dying, like Alfredu did—abandoned and alone because of a treatable and curable disease! If only he had been found earlier… because early diagnosis and treatment programs do prevent such tragedies.

Take Jose, 26, who tried traditional medicine to treat his leprosy. No success. Then Leprosy Mission health workers found him during a mass screening program in Timor Leste, two years ago. They diagnosed his patches as leprosy and put him on a course of medicine to treat it.

Today, Jose is married with one child and earns an income, buying and selling cows. Because he was found and treated early, Jose has no disabilities. Thanks to you, he will not be left to die like Alfredu was in a ramshackle shed!

Then there’s Joaquim. His case was diagnosed through leprosy screening at Joaquim’s school. He has been treated, cured and has no disabilities. He’s now completing business studies at university and dreams of one day working in IT. Because of you, Joaquim now has opportunities which would not have been available to him otherwise. He will not be abandoned for years like Alfredu was with only rats and pigs for company!