Sharna is 25 and developed leprosy aged 10 with spots on her skin. People in her hometown Shirajgonj, did not know about leprosy. Her leprosy was only diagnosed much later after her marriage when she moved to Sreemongal when government health workers were looking for leprosy in family check-ups. She was married during her first year in college and did not complete her higher education. She took 12 months multidrug treatment with antibiotics from 2018. She now has a few spots on her back.
During her treatment she met with leprosy affected people and started working with them in the federation from January 2023. She monitors the leprosy patients, helping them to continue their treatment and regular self-care. She has two kids, one son aged 8 and one daughter aged 3. She has normal strength in her hands and feet. Her husband was with her during her journey to fight with leprosy. He encourages her a lot. Her neighbours respect her because of her job in federation. She is a leader in that community. She wakes up at 6am and then cooks and does housework. Her husband works as a driver from the morning. She then does federation work and some house visits. Her message is “Be strong, don’t lose hope and fight” she is proud of her husband, kids, the people she works with and her education.
04/04/2023
Photography by Tom Bradley, writing by Prof Diana Lockwood