Under grandparents' wings

The story of Anil's recovery

Twelve-year-old Anil, from Kristokulam, India, had a very tough childhood. He currently lives with his grandparents.

His father was taken by the army during the civil war. His mother left the family when Anil's father disappeared and married into another family. Anil's relatives do not know whether the mother left them because of leprosy. Anil was first diagnosed with leprosy at the age of seven, but he was only ten months old when his mother left.

Anil is therefore very attached to his grandparents, who are a ray of light in his life: they raised Anil as if he were their own son. The grandson calls them father and mother. When Anil's parents disappeared, his grandparents were very worried about leprosy and took Anil to hospital for tests. The boy is currently studying at a nearby school and his favourite subject is mathematics. When he grows up he wants to be a policeman. Anil's case illustrates perfectly how the fate of a leprosy patient can change if diagnosed and treated in time. Unfortunately, his family has had an unfortunate fate, but his grandparents ensured that he had a relatively balanced childhood. He has many friends and they regularly play cricket together. After a difficult start, Anil has also received a lot of support through the drinking fountain that has been built. The family showed him the newly planted coconut and banana trees and how the well was set up to irrigate the crops.

The family currently has no work, but due to the grandfather's kidney disease, they receive a monthly allowance of Rs 6000 from the state. The man said he was very grateful for both the generous government support and the help of the local leprosy society. Anil also appreciates all the help: he received food ration packs until 2018 due to malnutrition, but fortunately no longer needs them. It is great to see both he and his family finally getting back on their feet thanks to the help they have received.