Sima Kumari
This is the case story of a very bright and bold girl Sima Kumari. Her father name is Mr. Ramesh Prasad, and her mother name is Mrs. Sita Devi. They all lived at the leprosy hermitage of Ramnagar. She is pursuing BSC. Nursing. She has two brothers and Sima is the single girl child of her parents. Her mother and father are suffering from leprosy since the very early age of their lives.
During our conversation with her, she said that her father was affected by leprosy when he was in Xth standard. My father and mother face a lot of problems due to their disease. She said that it was a common belief about leprosy that it’s a highly infectious disease at that time. The neighbourhood believed that it is a curse from God because of his sinful past life. But my father completed his Xth exams, and then people suggested he take ayurvedic medicines to treat the disease. He took the medication for around two years but didn’t get any benefit.
She informed us that his father met a man who suggested he visit the Charity of Missionary hospital to properly treat the disease because he has already seen so many people affected by the same disease. My father then visited Mother Teresa’s Charity of Missionary hospital situated at Phulwari Sharif, Bihar, for better treatment.
Sima said that at the age of 12, her mother was detected with leprosy and treated at the Charity of Missionary hospital at Kishanganj. After three months of treatment, she felt much better and engaged as a worker there. Sima’s mother was taking care of the patients and the self-care and dressings of the ulcer patients. After a few days later, she was transferred to the Phulwari Sharif hospital for work. She met with Sima’s father for the first time there, and they both got married at the same place.
Sima told that her mother and father both started begging for survival, but they never give up, and with their positive attitude and hard work, we all are here. Sima said that her father was very ill due to Black Fever (Kala-azar). And brothers of the missionary hospital admitted her father to Kolkata hospital for better treatment, and 36 months later, he returns from there. She said that when I was studying in the 12th standard, I first received financial support through the LEPRA Society under the CHAHA project by Oracle, which made me decide to serve society. She said that at present, she could continue her education because of the CHAHA project.
Due to her low-income family condition and dedication, LEPRA decided to facilitate her, and she said thanks to the Oracle funded ‘CHAHA Project’ and LEPRA Society.