He tells us, “It was about 1988, I saw this colour reaching across my body and face, but it was small – very small.” At the time, the hospital staff were not very knowledgeable about leprosy. Though Gabriel was correctly diagnosed, he was given nothing more than a prescription – no care, no counsel and certainly no compassion.
“I was depressed and ashamed – I couldn’t go near people,” Gabriel remembers. “I wasn’t comfortable presenting myself with this condition. I felt like my dignity was diminished.”
Gabriel was injured 6 years later and the wound quickly became infected. In time, he developed an unsightly ulcer that refused to heal. Thankfully, he came to our partner hospital in Okegbala, Nigeria.
This time, Gabriel is receiving the proper care and respect he deserves. Though the infection is serious, the doctors and nurses continue to give Gabriel hope. The road to recovery will be long and his damaged spirit needs healing, but Gabriel is in a good place.
