Dijan

You can see it in the desperate look on little Dijan's face: he is already seven years old and already burdened by life's deepest problems!

Last year he burnt his hand, but he felt no pain. This was the telltale sign that Dijan, like his father, had been a leper! The little boy's grief and fears prevented him from cuddling up to his mother, who has been dead for 2 years. His father works in a remote town to support the two of them and the grandmother who looks after Dijan.

Dijan knew exactly what the first sign meant, and the telltale marks on his hands, arms and face! He also knows that the physical part of leprosy is not the worst, because his father had already been cured. It's the psychological part: being ridiculed, shunned, stigmatised, and left alone.

Miraculously, Dijan has made it to the Premananda leprosy mission hospital in Calcutta, where he is already receiving the help he needs, along with lots of love, attention and care. His little life is now on track.

But his colleagues are still crying for help, because every 10 minutes a child somewhere on Earth is diagnosed with leprosy!