Reflections from a 2017 Youth Advocate...

I went to medical school because I was captured by the vision of using medicine to serve Jesus by helping those most in need, in New Zealand and worldwide. 

While in my second year of medical school, I was selected as one of the Leprosy Mission’s 2017 Youth Advocates.  I was very grateful to receive this scholarship – I learnt about leprosy, raised funds to support those with leprosy in Nepal, and saw how God is moving, all at the same time. 

Cherished memories from that trip include nearly fainting as it was my first time ever in an operating room! 

But most of all, I remember the excitement of seeing how treating a neglected disease like leprosy combats stigma, presents Jesus well and gives people hope. 

Observing how leprosy can be treated, and how disability can be prevented and treated, gave me much food for thought. It was a joy to continue fundraising for the Leprosy Mission on my return home.

I’d like to point out how my involvement with the Leprosy Mission taught me unique and valuable lessons as part of my on-going training and practice as a doctor. I graduated in 2020 and have been working since then. 

From July to October 2022, I had the opportunity to work as a doctor in Mukinge Mission Hospital in   Kasempa, Zambia.  

While I was there, I treated one patient who really sticks with me – a middle-aged man who had lost all the feeling in his feet.  I tested him for common causes of anaesthesia, but they all came back negative. After conferring with some colleagues, I tested him for leprosy – and after some determined investigation, his test came back positive.

I had just made my first diagnosis of leprosy! 

He is now safely recovering under the care of a dedicated TB and leprosy team, as well as Dr David Friend, who is very experienced in treating leprosy.

In most countries, leprosy is not exactly a common disease, so I came back to New Zealand expecting that I probably wouldn’t ever see another case again. 

After a short stint in paediatrics, I joined Auckland’s public health team.  On my very first day, we were notified of a case of leprosy. This patient had acquired their infection in our own backyard, on one of the Pacific Islands, before coming to New Zealand and being diagnosed.  

We swung into action to get this patient the care they needed.

I was delighted to find that the teaching the Leprosy Mission gave me in Nepal six years ago is still relevant, and I’m grateful for how it’s helped me treat these two patients. 

I was also astonished to find out for myself just how close to home leprosy is. This reinforces how important the global fight against leprosy is – and how important it is to keep teaching my generation how to look after people who have leprosy.