What Leprosy Cannot Numb

When we talk about Leprosy or Hansen’s disease, it gives us the idea of anesthesia, the loss of the sense of touch – the loss of feeling. With this thought augmented by the stigma suffered by the patients having this disease, it creates tormenting circumstances, memories that no doubt will scourge hearts and drain tears. One be shunned, neglected and worst harmed because of the condition and it will ruin individuals, families and communities if health promotion and education is not done.

But in this story, there is something that triumphed against this condition. This something, quite demonstrated superiority on all angles against Hansen’s Disease. What is this something?

Mr. Reynaldo, not his real name, is a heavy built macho man farmer from the Island of Bacolod. He could easily lift a sack of rice to demonstrate masculinity and could even lift two if challenged. He was a strong man with a pretty Filipino-Hispanic face. He lived a peaceful and simple life with his family, a land to till and nothing to worry about. Fresh air, enough food and water, and access to education. With his good looks and character, he had a pretty and industrious girlfriend – all is well. Until that moment came...

It all started one day when he noticed some discoloration of his skin in the upper extremities. This was then followed by feeling of numbness and loss of sensation to those parts. In a close knitted community, rumors easily spread of Reynaldo’s condition. Healthy and strong as he is, Reynaldo cannot believe that there would be something such a disease can get him. Due to the instant and sudden shift of his life, Reynaldo found himself in denial of his situation. As his disease progressed, his father told him to see a doctor and told him that he might be having ‘’aro” because of his loss of sensation. Unfortunately, Reynaldo, tough as he is, chose to disregard the symptoms and continued his daily activities. But as days passed by, the lesions began to be prominent and obvious which led him to be shunned by his community and even his relatives.

The Stigma in Hansen’s disease is as strong as the disease’s debilitating complications. During that time, the people, including Reynaldo’s relatives spurned him. The contrast of what a beautiful life he had, now seem to unveil. Reynaldo needed to leave. Away from his family, away from his beloved girlfriend, and away from home.

Reynaldo travelled to Iloilo, to a place called Santa Barbara Sanitarium. It was where people infected with leprosy were treated. He came there lonely, weak, and feeling neglected – these are the new feelings carried by Reynaldo. There were times that all he wanted to do was spend all day sitting in a corner and ponder upon the catastrophic happenings in his life. He was filled with feelings of worthlessness – as he, the Bacolod Macho man, was slowly fading away into nothingness. Reynaldo has grown weak. Weak by feeling of being down. Weak by to the Disease he is marked of.

Days, weeks, moths passed, in the sanitarium. In a common sunny day, where fresh air blew from the North, there was someone that Reynaldo met. As prophylaxis against a very long story to read, I will summarize this part. Reynaldo found hope, found love – he met a woman named Candida, not her real name. Ms. Candida is also a leprosy patient being treated in the Sanitarium. She already had 3 children from a certain man who left her because of her disease – leaving her the burden of being a single mother with a disease. Long before she had children, she was sent away by her family because of Leprosy and was threatened to be burned alive if she did not. When Reynaldo and Candida met, their history somewhat blended with the similarities and their hearts simply danced in sync with the rhythm that fate is beating them.

Despite Candida already having 3 children, Reynaldo accepted them and stood as their father with no issues. By being a trisikad driver and doing other whatever freelance work he can get on, together with Ms. Candida working on the Sanitarium, they eventually got married and started a family. Regardless of the financial constraints, Reynaldo adopted the 3 children of Candida, changed their surnames into same of Reynaldo's. He facilitated everything just to show to his children that they have a father – may not be by blood but truly by love.

Reynaldo and Candida tried to make biological children of their own but sadly leprosy has taken that ability from Reynaldo. Because of the nerve damage caused by the late treatment of the disease, he developed erectile dysfunction. Nevertheless, this did not hinder the couple’s relationship. Reynaldo strived hard and worked hard to send his children to school and give their basic needs. Candida was amazed that such a man existed, someone who was specifically and specially destined for her.

Despite the struggles and because of hard work, they were able to send all their children to school and have them all finish college. All this they did together despite the handicap that leprosy, the residual nerve damage and the stigma brought unto them. All this, with love.

However, the challenge of fate never ceased. One of Reynaldo’s son was able to go abroad, to Canada. With hopes to find better futures, Reynaldo and Candida were pleased at first but an unfortunate event happened. Their son was working at a Hotel. During the first few years of his work, he was sending money to his parents but there came a time where he couldn’t. News then followed that their son was involved in a Casino issue and had a debt of about a million pesos. This rang like thunder to the family. Yet, Reynaldo did not scold his son. He couldn’t blame him if he was on such a haste to gain money given their situation. He advised his son to pay the debt first then he can send money to them in the Philippines when all issues are settled. This means no more financial support for Reynaldo but this he doesn’t worry of because he can still drive his trisikad and still work. All this, with Love.

Misfortune is not a girl but rather a fluctuation in the course of fate that has bad relative effects to an individual. One of the Reynaldo’s Daughter, the youngest had a boyfriend. Their relationship was good before the guy knew about the health history of Reynaldo and Candida and with the energetic drives they had, Reynaldo’s daughter got pregnant. The father of the child visited Reynaldo’s Household. After knowing the health history of their family, they guy suddenly changed and left Reynaldo’s daughter and unborn grandchild. The youngest pregnant daughter fell into a state of depression. Reynaldo and Candida immediately came to the rescue. They shared their experience of how they had the same persecutions, judgement and isolation from the community and encouraged their daughter to be strong. All this, with Love.

So Reynaldo is now 56 years old and Candida is turning 60 this year. With all the troubles they have gone unto, and with all the troubles that Leprosy has brought unto them, they remained strong and optimistic. With all the catastrophic events, Reynaldo was even thankful to leprosy as he said “Pasalamat gani ako sa aro kay nakilala ko si Candida”. All this, with Love.