The love you leave behind
There is a kind of love that does not end when our lifetime does. When you chose to leave a gift in your Will, you were thinking beyond today.
has been rejected will discover they are valued and belong.
You were thinking about people you may never meet, and a future you may never see. That takes a special kind of love.
They may never know your name. But at their lowest moment, your love will reach them.
In 1 Corinthians 13, the apostle Paul reminds us that love never fails. It does not come to an end. It goes on, shaping lives and carrying hope forward in ways we cannot always see.
This is what it means to love beyond a lifetime.
That is what your decision does. Because of you, someone will be diagnosed earlier and spared lifechanging disability. Someone will be welcomed into a hospital and treated with dignity. Someone who
Your gift reflects who you are and what you believe. It says that every person matters, and that no one should be left behind. Thank you for the difference you will make, for generations to come. May God bless you, Imogen Moore, Legacy Manager
Love beyond a lifetime PARAMESHWARY’S STORY
Because of people like you, Parameshwary’s story did not end on the day she was told she had leprosy. In a small village in rural Sri Lanka, what began with fear and rejection has become a story of healing, dignity and hope. It began with a small patch on her arm. At first, Parameshwary didn’t know what it was. But when she was referred for tests, the diagnosis came back clearly: leprosy. Suddenly, questions filled her mind. What would this mean for her future? For her family? Would she ever be well again? She was so scared, yet worse was to come. When neighbours heard, they began to keep their distance. Fear and misunderstanding still surround this ancient disease in many rural communities, and Parameshwary felt it deeply. People would not drink from cups she had used or eat from plates she had used. They stopped visiting. No one needed to say anything cruel. Their silence said enough. Parameshwary was being pushed to the edges of the community she had always called home. Can you imagine how isolating that must have felt? To be feared by the very people who once knew and loved you. But her story did not end there. In that lonely place, God’s love reached her through the kindness and compassion of people like you. Because someone chose to remember
The Leprosy Mission in their Will, help was there when she needed it most. She did not have to face leprosy alone. Found by a member of The Leprosy Mission team, Parameshwary received the treatment she needed. As she completed her course of medication, she began to recover. The fear slowly lifted. Her health improved. And gradually, as her neighbours understood that Parameshwary could no longer pass leprosy on, they began to welcome her back. Today, this precious woman walks with confidence again. With the support of The Leprosy Mission, she was given land, a water pump and training to start anew. She now grows vegetables and earns an income, providing for her family and rebuilding her independence. This land is more than soil, it is dignity, purpose and hope taking root. Each week, she brings her produce to market. Some she shares with neighbours, others she sells. And those who once kept their distance are now part of her life again. Your decision to leave a gift in your Will makes stories like Parameshwary’s possible. It helps people affected by leprosy receive treatment, regain their place in their communities, and build lives filled with dignity, opportunity and hope. Thank you for choosing to stand with people like Parameshwary, today and for generations to come.
The door to opportunity SANTOSH’S STORY
Santosh is a wonderful example of what happens when the door to opportunity is opened. Thanks to the extraordinary kindness of people who, like you, have chosen to leave a gift in their Will to The Leprosy Mission, lives like Santosh’s are being transformed for generations to come. A dream that seemed impossible
The moment everything changed
Santosh, 33, is happily married with two young children. In his hometown in Andhra Pradesh, India, he leads a team of 42 as manager of a car dealership. With a good salary and further promotion already within reach, his journey reflects his determination to provide for his family and seize every opportunity.
One day, while accompanying his father to The Leprosy Mission Hospital in Salur for treatment, everything changed. A compassionate nurse took the time to speak with Santosh, saw his potential and told him something that must have felt almost unbelievable: he could receive free vocational training through The Leprosy Mission.
To look at this high-flyer, you’d never guess where his story began. Santosh was born in a leprosy colony, into a life of poverty. His father, badly disabled by the disease, struggled to earn enough for even the family’s basic needs. Life was hard.
For a young man who had grown up believing doors like this would always remain closed, it was a moment of extraordinary grace. What had seemed impossible suddenly became real. Before long, Santosh was on his way to begin a two-year course in mechanical engineering, the first step towards the future he had scarcely dared to imagine.
Santosh dreamed of studying and a better future, but he knew there was little hope. There was no way his parents could pay for his education. And because of his father’s condition, many places would never have accepted him anyway. He had the determination and the talent. What he needed was an opportunity. It seemed like an impossible dream. Yet we believe in a God who makes a way where there seems to be none, and who uses people like you to turn impossible stories into reality.
For young people affected by leprosy like Santosh, opportunities like this are life-changing. A gift in your Will can open doors that poverty, stigma and exclusion would otherwise keep firmly shut. It provides vocational training for students who could never afford it on their own, along with skilled teachers, safe accommodation, equipment and vital work placements. But more than that, it can give
A future that keeps giving back Santosh grabbed the opportunity to learn with both hands and graduated with top marks. After his first job at Renault, he became an assistant mechanic at a local car dealership and worked his way up to manager. Alongside him are seven students currently on placement from the same vocational training centre he attended. Santosh is passing his skills and determination on to a new generation of young people affected by leprosy. The impact of gifts in Wills reaches far beyond one person. Because one young man was given an opportunity, his whole family’s future has changed. His children are growing up with security and stability. Other students are now learning from his example and benefiting from his encouragement. This is the lasting difference gifts in Wills can make - creating opportunities that continue to multiply for years to come. “I wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t been trained by The Leprosy Mission. No-one from a leprosy colony could get to this position. Not without help. I say to the placement students that working hard is all they need to focus on. Don’t let leprosy define where you end up.” By leaving a gift in your Will, you are helping open the same door of opportunity for more young people like Santosh and becoming part of God’s transforming work in lives affected by leprosy.
“I wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t been trained by The Leprosy Mission. No-one from a leprosy colony could get to this position. Not without help.” a young person the confidence to believe in themselves, the dignity of earning a living, and the hope of a future that once felt far beyond reach. When Santosh arrived at the Vocational Training Centre, he was nervous but excited to move away from home and begin building the future he dreamed of. “I loved the course, I learned so much. I also really liked the life skills classes. I learned how to write my CV, complete job applications and interview well. I also had a great work placement, which led to my first job with Renault. I made lots of friends, and years later we are still in touch and meet up.”
Thank you for this extraordinary act of kindness and for creating futures filled with hope, dignity and possibility.
Thank you for remembering people in Niger through your Will. My name is Bunmi, and I lead The Leprosy Mission’s work in Niger. I want to personally thank you for your love and compassion for people affected by leprosy. Your decision to leave a gift in your Will is so humbling, and deeply appreciated by us all. In Niger, many people suffering with leprosy live far from health services and even further from acceptance. When treatment comes too late, the damage can last a lifetime. I often meet people who believed they had been forgotten. But praise God, today they are once more working, caring for their children, and part of their communities again. And it’s because of people like you. Your decision, made in love, makes this possible. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
The Leprosy Mission Great Britain, Goldhay Way, Orton Goldhay, Peterborough, PE2 5GZ
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The Leprosy Mission Great Britain
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