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Far from the prejudiced leprosy crowd
Everyday as dusk falls on the leprosy village nestled in the mountains of Huashan Town, in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei Province, many of the old villagers sit in front of their homes and look out across the idyllic vista.
The wild rolling hills continue to the horizon. Serenity is bountiful in these quite moments just before dark. Secluded from the outside world, life here is simple and relaxing. Watching TV is the other main recreation, although few channels are available in the village. So watching the view has a higher viewing rating figure. In the warm and sunny afternoon, the sound of chatter and the odd raised voice from the card players fill the air. Founded in 1952, the village was once home to over 200 leprosy victims. Today, 54 people reside there, most over 60 years old. Each receives a subsidy of 240 yuan (US$29) from the government every month. Some whose condition is not severe, earn extra cash by doing temporary jobs in the village, such as washing clothes and delivering meals for other patients. Farmers living in neighbouring villages are not afraid of the leprosy village any more. They come to the village regularly to sell vegetables. Before 1997, the leprosy villagers were not allowed to leave their community and they led an isolated life. But when they were finally allowed to live where they wanted, most preferred to stay. "I could hardly remember how my home was like," said 76-year-old Zhang Chunqing, who began to live in the village at the age of 16 when he was diagnosed. "All of my family has died. I had no home but here." "Leprosy brings with it a double misfortune, and the physical affliction is the lesser cross to carry," said Le Chunming, a doctor of Skin Condition Prevention Station of Wuhan. "Worse is that sufferers have to endure prejudices against leprosy," Le added. With his arms embracing his knees, Lin Fuming sat on the threshold of his home and told of his tragic experience. At the age of 20, he began to develop ulcers on his hands. Then his hands and feet became disfigured and disabled. "When I was diagnosed with leprosy, people in my village avoided me like the plague," Lin recalled. His family kept him locked in a small room and fed him through the window every day. Later, he was sent to the local leprosy hospital and then transferred to the leprosy village in Huashan Town. "I've been away from my home for 27 years," Lin exclaimed. Compared with Lin, 62-year-old Song Qiwei had gone through more bitterness in his life. In Song's house, a family photo hangs on the wall. The photo has been torn up and then pieced together. It is a portrait of a happy family: Song, who looked young and vigorous with a radiant smile, was holding in his arms his beautiful wife and his adorable son. "But all this has become mere memories," Song said. His life was changed ever since he was sent to hospital over 20 years ago. Friends broke off all communications and his wife divorced him. "My son became my only reason to live," said Song. One summer his son called him, saying he would visit him together with his girlfriend. To welcome the young couple, the old man spent two days cleaning the house with his disfigured hands. "I hadn't seen my son for over half a year," recalled Song. "I was very excited about their visit." On a Sunday morning the young couple came to the village. But the girlfriend was not willing to step into Song's house and stayed in the courtyard. After a long silence, his son muttered: "My girlfriend asks me to make a clean break with you, otherwise she will leave me." Song tore the family photo into pieces after his son left. "But I regretted that right away. After all, they are my family," Song said. Though many of the villagers had difficult experiences like Lin and Song, not all of their stories were tragic. There is a marriage of 66-year-old Liu Shandong and 63-year-old Zhou Fuyun. And they are the only couple who tied the knot in the village. Liu suffered from leprosy when he was 19. After 10 years of treatment, his disease was cured. He got to know Zhou, who was also a recovering patient in the village. The two fell in love and married. Their son who was born in the village and today works at a hospital helping leprosy victims. Their 50-year happy marriage became the most talked-about topic among the villagers. They called them "the most perfect husband and wife" who never fought. The leprosy village is by some seen as an attractive community to some outsiders. Such as Fan Youlao, a former leprosy patient in his 60s, who often comes to the village working as a volunteer maintenance man. "My friends didn't visit me even after my recovery," Fan said. "It was only here in the leprosy village that we were in the same situation and had sympathy for one another. There was no prejudice but help and love among us." Fan plans to move back to the village in the future. Doctors and nurses have been sent by the Skin Condition Prevention Station of Wuhan to take care of the villagers. In addition to curing minor illnesses, they helped those who had lost the capacity of self-reliance. Wang Ming, a young doctor in the clinic, was under great pressure to take the job. Though he has a four-year-long relationship with his girlfriend, he does not dare to tell the girl's father of his work. Liu Xingjie, who has worked as a leprosy doctor for about 40 years, is the most popular figure in the village. Whenever he has time, he chats with the old people or play cards with them. Here, despite the stigma held by ignorant outsiders, the perfect village life exists. Sympathetic hearts warm leprosy villagers
In the winter of 1994, policemen from Shuangdian Town, Donghai County of East China's Jiangsu Province, received a call from the local leprosy village, saying that its clinic had been robbed. Located far away from the township, the village was home to over 40 lepers. The oldest was over 80 years old and the youngest 37. The police rushed to the scene. They were surprised to find a black-and-white television - the most valuable asset in the village, had been stolen. "It's a terribly isolated community with many needs," Xie Xuanqing, a police officer from Shuangdian Police Station, said. Many of the villagers had lost the capacity of physical labour and self-reliance, and the combination of disease and poverty lowered their quality of life drastically. They each receive a small amount of money from the government every month, but still have difficulty in supporting themselves. Some who were not seriously handicapped earned more money by growing rice and vegetables. The police soon solved the case and gave the television back to the leprosy patients. But their work was not finished. "We decided to try our best to help these people improve their lives," said Xie. Ever since, Xie and his colleagues are regular visitors to the village. Due to their physical deformity, the villagers were lacking in self-confidence and appeared to be cold and detached to the police's friendship at the very beginning. "They had been shunned by friends and relatives because of the general public's misunderstanding of leprosy," Xie said. "They needed affection, friendship and love." The police brought presents of clothes, food and quilts to the villagers. They spent weekends working with the local farmers in the fields. During festivals and holidays, they came and helped the disabled patients with their household chores. One of the police's concerns was the children in the village. Although the lepers' children did not have leprosy, their lives were still harshly impacted by the disease, Xie said. Some of the children had reached school age, but they failed to get admitted at local primary schools. With the help of the policemen, the children were finally able to enter the school. The police's persistent efforts finally touched the hearts of the leprosy patients. "They have brought us love and new hope for life," exclaimed Li Guisheng, a leprosy victim who had lived in the village for over a decade. "They care for us like family." "Now they are the most welcomed guests in our village," Li added. Whenever the policemen visit the village, people crowd around, sharing with them the latest village news. "We are glad we are able to do something to help these
people and our efforts have been of consequence," said Xie.
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