Playing football. For the first time in almost a year. A dream has come true for Leeroy G. The twelve year-old is frolicking around exuberantly with other kids of his age on the square. Just yesterday he didn’t dare do so because his fear and shame were too great. Thanks to DAHW, Deutsche Lepra- und Tuberkulosehilfe, Leeroy is back in goal at last.
Early this morning John Brimah came to the little village of Zontuo where Leeroy’s family lives. The nurse from Ganta Rehab Hospital travelled almost all day to this inaccessible region by the border with the Ivory Coast. Brimah had had his visit announced beforehand via the local radio station: “We are examining skin diseases.” Not a word about leprosy because many people are scared of it.
John Brimah’s suspicion that it was leprosy was confirmed shortly thereafter.
That was the reason why Leeroy hid the light-coloured marks on his skin from the other children. “In our village too there are some people who want to chase all persons affected by leprosy into the forest,” Alex Vah affirms: “Although I can take care of the patients, many do not report to us because they are frightened of the disease, preferring to go into hiding.”
Just like Leeroy: Almost a year ago he was teased while playing football. Other players had discovered a light mark on his shoulder and kept cat-calling him “Leper, leper.” Leeroy denied it of course, although he knew from Alex Vah what the marks meant.
Vah is the Community Volunteer, a voluntary helper in the village for the leprosy-control teams. He informs the people around him, searches for signs of the disease and brings those affected to John Brimah when he comes to the village the next time. Or, even better, he endeavours to convince them to have themselves examined. But sometimes they continue to hide away.
Not so Leeroy, because Vah had spoken to his mother. Frightened and disturbed he is now sitting near the leprosy expert. What is happening to me? That is just one of his many questions. Will I get better? Do I have to go to hospital now? Three patients from Zontuo are currently in hospital in Ganta, suffering from the most severe form of leprosy because it was not discovered until very late.
Six months’ treatment and strictly taking tablets lie before the boy. He gets his first tablets today. Photo: Hövekenmeier / DAHW
“He’s frightened,” John Brimah says right at the beginning of the examination: “Frightened of leprosy and its stigma and frightened of being marked by the disease.” John tests the marks for sensitivity using cotton wool. Leprosy damages the nerves and causes the ability to feel to dwindle. Each time Leeroy feels the cotton wool touching him he must say “Yes.” Close your eyes. The first mark. No feeling, just like the other two.
Now John feels along the nerve paths, searching for nodules. And all the time he speaks soothingly to the boy, saying that he doesn’t need to worry, his health will be restored completely because he has come to be examined early enough. Half an hour later it is clear: Leeroy is suffering from paucibacillary leprosy (PB), the simple form. Six months of therapy are sufficient. He is given the first tablets immediately. He has understood and a smile slowly comes back to his face.
John explains to Leeroy’s mother that he must take these tablets every day from now on. Alex Vah is standing next to them, paying attention. He will keep his eye on things to make sure that this will work. And he has the packs of tablets for the months thereafter. Then they explain to the Chief and the teacher, informing them that from this day on nobody can be infected by Leeroy.
Meanwhile, Leeroy sees other children making their way to the football ground. He runs behind them. Without thinking about it he joins one of the teams and plays as if he had never done anything else. Almost a whole year of suffering and hiding away eradicated by a short examination.
After the game Leeroy returns to his family exhausted, but happy. Everybody is glad that they now know more about the disease which is so easy to heal, if it is examined and treated in good time.
John Brimah packs his things and drives to the next village in this poor region. In all he will find ten new patients on this weekend, four of them children. “If we had more vehicles and trained teams we would discover far more patients,” he says very hopefully. “And by the time we have treated most of the patients, children like Leeroy will no longer be able to become infected.”
