Leprosy Patient gets his life back

Sandra Boone, Superintendent at Green Pastures tells the story of Buddiman Ale:

Our approach to the treatment of leprosy combines clinical care, pastoral support and community based support to reduce the stigma of the disease and enable our patients to live fulfilling lives.

However, this is no easy task, as you can see from 70 year-old Buddhiman Ale's story. He is from a remote area of Gorkha, and his wife died when he was 28, leaving him with three sons.

Unfortunately, he then developed leprosy. Once his sons were grown up they moved away and refused to have any contact with him because of
this. Due to delay in receiving treatment he lost most of his fingers and toes before getting to hospital in Kathmandu. He was ostracised by his local community, not allowed to enter anyone's house or touch anyone. When his small hut burned down his only option was to live in a local cave for a year.

The local church heard of Buddhiman and brought him to Green Pastures for treatment for the ulcers in his hands and feet. There he experienced love, care, support and acceptance as never before. For the first time in a long time he was happy to be alive. With the help of our INF Community Based Rehab group the local villagers are also beginning to accept him. He
now lives in a hut built by the villagers and the church, is allowed to enter other people's homes, and some will even come and visit him.

Thanks to all this he recognizes that the main change is within him, and that he has got his life back.

Please pray for:

continuing acceptance of Buddhiman in his community