Peter Waddup, CEO - The Leprosy Mission Great Britain

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Happy Valentine’s Day! When you think of love, what comes to mind? Hearts and flowers and romance have their place of course. But as I spend time in Leprosy Mission Hospitals here in India this week, I’m reminded of a kind of love that runs through generations. It is a love that heals broken hearts and changes lives.

The effect of the love and care shown to leprosy patients by the nurses cannot be measured. When you’ve been thrown out of your family and you’re facing a lifetime of difficulty, a warm welcoming smile and a gentle hug brings so much comfort. You’re finally accepted - someone thinks you’re worth something. When you feel the world is against you, love and kindness are worth more than gold.

Many Leprosy Mission nurses are second and third generation who have given their lives to serve some of the most vulnerable people in the world. They grew up in leprosy hospital compounds. They saw the desperate need of people queuing to be seen every day. And they saw their parents work among these people, providing treatment and a loving welcome. Providing hope for the future where previously there was none.

I sat with Sister Rajani and her little boy Amit. Rajani has served at Champa Hospital in Chhattisgarh for 21 years. It’s not an easy job, with long hours and basis resources. Yet this is Ranjini’s calling. She told me “I couldn’t do anything else. It breaks my heart when one of my patients tells me their family doesn’t want them anymore because they have leprosy. The psychological effects of rejection and isolation are far worse than the physical effects of the disease. I can dress a patient’s leprosy ulcers and give them tablets, but all I have to mend their spirits is love”.

Martin Luther King, jr. said “Love cannot remain by itself – it has no meaning. Love has to be put in to action and that action is service. Everyone can be great, because everyone can serve”.

This Valentine’s Day, like generations of leprosy nurses, let’s put love in to action by serving someone who needs our help.