So, Rani got married on April 19th, 2019 and for her Mother it was a dream come true. It was even more significant because for her it was a far-fetched dream. Rani’s father is a daily wage worker and earns around Rs.3000 per month and her mother is a home maker. Rani has three sisters and two brothers and lived in a small two room house which was given by the government. She first noticed a patch on her left hand around 3 years back and tried various traditional treatment options without any result except that most of her father’s monthly income was spent on her treatment, resulting in increased financial burden on her family. Her dream of studying well and getting a job to help ease the family’s financial situation was curtailed mid-way as she felt stigmatized when she went to school. During this time her mother was her anchor and her only emotional support. A home visit by a block health coordinator and counselor changed her life. They referred her to our Referral centre and for the first time Rani and our staff told the family that Rani was suffering with Leprosy. With the diagnosis in place, we started her MDT regime, and she was also put on steroid treatment therapy for prevention of disability as she was already suffering from neuritis. Even though her family was initially apprehensive about the treatment, they adhered to the regime prescribed and Rani was closely monitored by LEPRA staff. Today Rani has completed her steroid therapy and has recovered without any disabilities. She visited her parent’s house last week and we captured this beautiful picture of Rani with her mother. I am not sure if Rani knows that this past Sunday (May 12th) was celebrated as Mother’s Day. But she did say that her life is back to normal and happy because of her mother’s unrelenting support, courage and love. So, for her every day is a Mother’s Day. It is for all of us. So happy hugs to all the Mother’s out there.
