Mohammad was just 19 when he developed big blisters on his left leg. He visited a clinic in his home district of Rupandehi, and was immediately diagnosed with leprosy. It was a lot for a young man to take in.

He was given two years of drug therapy treatment to take, and took it for 18 months, but after that he lost motivation and stopped. Like many people in Nepal, Mohammad simply didn’t know much about leprosy and didn’t understand how the drugs worked. He didn’t realise how important it was to complete the treatment.

Unfortunately, after he stopped treatment, Mohammad developed complications including recurring ulcers and deformities in his hands and feet.

These visible disabilities exposed Mohammad to discrimination and stigma in his community. He couldn’t find a girl to marry, and still has no support from his wider family. But Mohammad presses on, and he earns a living for himself working in a tailor’s shop.

INF gave Mohammad’s life a positive turn

Now in his early 40s, Mohammad regularly attends INF’s Green Pastures Hospital for management of a recurring ulcer, and likes to encourage the other people with leprosy there.

“When I meet new patients, I share my story,” he says. “I want them to learn from my experience – and finish their medicine.” It’s a message he shares in the community, too.

At Green Pastures, Mohammad also receives guidance on looking after his numb foot to protect it from further damage. He is grateful for the expert care, compassion, and sense of belonging he experiences at Green Pastures, after a lot of rejection in his life. He says it’s like a home away from home.

Thank you, INF supporters, for making this lifeline freely available to Mohammad.