We had a great final day today. In the morning I took pictures of the cleaning ladies and printed them out and gave to them. They seemed really surprised and pleased, which made me happy.
We went on a medical rotation to Pollambakkam, which is the nicest leprosy colony around. It was built about 50 years ago by a Belgian doctor who devoted much of her life to helping leprosy patients. We treated maybe 15 people today. I took my printer, and although it didn’t work completely right, I got eight or nine pictures out of it and gave them to the patients. They were so surprised and so happy and so grateful to get them. It was really neat.
The dwellings at the colony were by far the nicest ones we’ve seen. The houses are extremely spartan by our standards—concrete walls and floors and very little furniture—but by Indian standards they look pretty darn good. And trees have been planted along the street that give a lot of sorely needed shade. There are orderly rows of banana trees, separate quarters for men and women, and a physical therapy center of sorts, along with a hospice area. Overall it’s a huge step up from most leprosy colonies here.
Lily took blood pressure readings today and did a good job. I didn’t have a specific job, so I just took pictures, which is why I ended up with such a long video—seven minutes and more than a gigabyte. After we were done with our service, we had a little mini-dance with the patients, and Lily got into it more than anyone else. It was really neat to see her dancing and having a great time.
After our service at Pollambakkam we traveled to a nearby leprosy hospital where a few long-term patients remain. We spent a bit of time just walking and talking with them. The hospital was fascinating--built maybe 50 years ago and sorely undermaintained. It had crazy vintage stuff that was literally falling apart and molding. The hospital was dark and dank--something like the ward from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, 30 years after a total societal collapse. It was just incredible to look through.
Several of the patients were so unabashedly thrilled to see us and so kind and so eager to talk to us and interact with us. It was clear they had absolutely no guile, and I found myself reflecting on I’m pleasing our Father in Heaven as much as they seem to be, given our different stations in life.
This afternoon at playtime I strapped on my GoPro and recorded our soccer/football/catch/track experiences. It was fun, and (relatively) cool out this afternoon. I still ended up a sweaty mess, but there was a little rain to go along with it and no direct sun.
Tonight was my last chance to tell stories to the boys in their room. It was a little harder than I’d anticipated. They all asked me repeatedly whether I was going. They said goodbye to me hugged me and seemed sad. I certainly was. I took a couple quick pictures of them and printed them out so that they’d have them. Then it was back to the room to pack up for the Delhi trip. That bus left at 1:50 am—ugh.
Removing a splinter from one of the volunteers on the bus
leprosy patient
leprosy patient
leprosy patient
Bailey rocks the eyedrop station!
Lily takes blood pressure
Leprosy patient
Treating patients' limbs
Two leprosy patients.
The one in blue has hardly any symptoms, but since he had leprosy he has to live in the colony.
Treating patients
Lily at the blood pressure table
Our nurses
Leprosy patient
This guy was trimming palm trees (along with his friend who you can barely see up in the tree at left).
Dance party!
More dance party
Not gonna stop dancing
Medical staff
Leprosy patient waving goodbye
At the old leprosy hospital
In the leprosy hospital ward
The ward looks lighter in these photos than it really is!
Lily and a patient at the hospital
Walking with a patient at the hospital
Old operating room, now in disuse
Deteriorating hospital breezeway
Lily and her roommates and their not-so-clean room at the campus
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