Bishal Khadka, 9
Bishal came to the Patan Clinic today with his father. He got leprosy 4 years ago, but he’s still on MDT and still come to the Patan Clinic once a week. He’s spent a lot of that time at Anandaban, and the TLM staff there all know who he is – ‘ah yes, the boy who dances well’, they say, every time I mention him.
Bishal is still getting ENL reactions and it still on Prednisalone. Fortunately he has no anaesthesia. “My hand muscles are weak,” He says, “but I’ve never had loss of sensation. My feet are still quite painful, but they used to be really painful, and in my hands too.”
His father, Purna Khadka, 32 and mother, Lalsari Khadka, 26 have also had leprosy. In fact Lalsari got it first. “I was sad when this happened,” Purna says. “I didn’t have much idea before but now I understand about it.”
Their family which also includes Bishal’s sister Bhumika, 6 moved to Kathmandu a year ago so that Bishal and Lalsari could visit the clinic once a week. Before that Bishal was at Anandaban for two years and even took thalidomide to control the painful reactions for some time.
“We didn’t know where this leprosy came from.” Purna says. They live in Nepalgunj, some distance from Kathmandu.
Bishal’s friends at school don’t know he has leprosy, even though the reactions have caused puffiness and swelling on his face.
Bishal is only in class 2 as he’s had to miss so much school due to spending time in Anandaban. However he’s clearly very intelligent and listens to people very carefully. I ask him if he can write, and then if he can write on a polaroid I took of him. He says he can, but to my surprise writes in English, not even in Nepali. His writing is much neater than mine too.
He says he really loves dancing, playing the football game on his dads phone, studying and watching TV. He has a couple of friends from school who live next door, and his school is about 25 minutes walk away. He has an educational scholarship from Anandaban.
When his family were moving to Kathmandu, Dr Indra put them in touch with Basu, the owner of a paper factory, who is also affected by leprosy. In fact quite a few of his employees are too. There Bishal’s family live in a small corrugated space, and they earn around 600 NPR per day. Once Bishal is better, the family want to move back to Nepalgunj.
Lalsari was in fact the first to get leprosy, 6 years ago. The first symptoms she experienced were reactions, and she went to the hospital in Nepalgunj where she was diagnosed. Long before that Purna’s mother was affected by leprosy, 36 years ago.
Purna later got leprosy too, but never had any affects.
Meanwhile, Lalsari’s reactions were similar to Bishal’s – painful nodules and fever. She took MDT for two years before testing negative. Fortunately she never needed to stay over at Anandaban, just went for check ups. She did spend a week in the hospital in Nepalgunj however. The reactions went for one year continually. “I still sometimes get reactions for 3 – 4 months. That’s why it’s good for me to be here too.” She tells me. “I can easily go to Patan Clinic for medicine then. If it’s serious, I’ll rest, otherwise I carry on working.”
Lalsari’s role in the paper factory is to dress the paper, whereas Purna’s role is to cook the raw material.
Lalsari comes from a Christian family as her father converted to Christianity after he got sick, was looked after at a Christian hospital and got better again. She takes her two children to church, though Purna doesn’t go. Solomon, the counsellor suggests a nearby church she could go to as her current one is a little too far, and she normally works 7 days a week.
“We’re very thankful to the hospital.” Lalsari says. “They’ve always served us so well, and everything is free. We’re very grateful to Bishal’s scholarship too.”
Bishal’s scholarship doesn’t quite cover everything, and the family still have to earn a lot to pay for school for his little sister Bhumika too.
Bishal is always smiling and a real joy to be around. I can see why people at Anandaban remember him so easily. His behaviour is very inspiring considering the daily pains he is still going through due to leprosy.
Photographed while on assignment for TLM Switzerland and TLM England and Wales.
TLM Patan Clinic, Kathmandu. Nepal 2018
Bishal came to the Patan Clinic today with his father. He got leprosy 4 years ago, but he’s still on MDT and still come to the Patan Clinic once a week. He’s spent a lot of that time at Anandaban, and the TLM staff there all know who he is – ‘ah yes, the boy who dances well’, they say, every time I mention him.
Bishal is still getting ENL reactions and it still on Prednisalone. Fortunately he has no anaesthesia. “My hand muscles are weak,” He says, “but I’ve never had loss of sensation. My feet are still quite painful, but they used to be really painful, and in my hands too.”
His father, Purna Khadka, 32 and mother, Lalsari Khadka, 26 have also had leprosy. In fact Lalsari got it first. “I was sad when this happened,” Purna says. “I didn’t have much idea before but now I understand about it.”
Their family which also includes Bishal’s sister Bhumika, 6 moved to Kathmandu a year ago so that Bishal and Lalsari could visit the clinic once a week. Before that Bishal was at Anandaban for two years and even took thalidomide to control the painful reactions for some time.
“We didn’t know where this leprosy came from.” Purna says. They live in Nepalgunj, some distance from Kathmandu.
Bishal’s friends at school don’t know he has leprosy, even though the reactions have caused puffiness and swelling on his face.
Bishal is only in class 2 as he’s had to miss so much school due to spending time in Anandaban. However he’s clearly very intelligent and listens to people very carefully. I ask him if he can write, and then if he can write on a polaroid I took of him. He says he can, but to my surprise writes in English, not even in Nepali. His writing is much neater than mine too.
He says he really loves dancing, playing the football game on his dads phone, studying and watching TV. He has a couple of friends from school who live next door, and his school is about 25 minutes walk away. He has an educational scholarship from Anandaban.
When his family were moving to Kathmandu, Dr Indra put them in touch with Basu, the owner of a paper factory, who is also affected by leprosy. In fact quite a few of his employees are too. There Bishal’s family live in a small corrugated space, and they earn around 600 NPR per day. Once Bishal is better, the family want to move back to Nepalgunj.
Lalsari was in fact the first to get leprosy, 6 years ago. The first symptoms she experienced were reactions, and she went to the hospital in Nepalgunj where she was diagnosed. Long before that Purna’s mother was affected by leprosy, 36 years ago.
Purna later got leprosy too, but never had any affects.
Meanwhile, Lalsari’s reactions were similar to Bishal’s – painful nodules and fever. She took MDT for two years before testing negative. Fortunately she never needed to stay over at Anandaban, just went for check ups. She did spend a week in the hospital in Nepalgunj however. The reactions went for one year continually. “I still sometimes get reactions for 3 – 4 months. That’s why it’s good for me to be here too.” She tells me. “I can easily go to Patan Clinic for medicine then. If it’s serious, I’ll rest, otherwise I carry on working.”
Lalsari’s role in the paper factory is to dress the paper, whereas Purna’s role is to cook the raw material.
Lalsari comes from a Christian family as her father converted to Christianity after he got sick, was looked after at a Christian hospital and got better again. She takes her two children to church, though Purna doesn’t go. Solomon, the counsellor suggests a nearby church she could go to as her current one is a little too far, and she normally works 7 days a week.
“We’re very thankful to the hospital.” Lalsari says. “They’ve always served us so well, and everything is free. We’re very grateful to Bishal’s scholarship too.”
Bishal’s scholarship doesn’t quite cover everything, and the family still have to earn a lot to pay for school for his little sister Bhumika too.
Bishal is always smiling and a real joy to be around. I can see why people at Anandaban remember him so easily. His behaviour is very inspiring considering the daily pains he is still going through due to leprosy.
Photographed while on assignment for TLM Switzerland and TLM England and Wales.
TLM Patan Clinic, Kathmandu. Nepal 2018