Help to banish A dread disease
Like many, the first time Sheila Millar heard about leprosy was in tales told at Sunday school. Back then, it may have seemed like a very distant problem. Yet years later she would come face to face with its awful impact and start a life-long journey that would see her commit to helping to support those affected.
Sheila, pictured inset, was working in London at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital during the 1960s, where leprosyaffected patients from India had come to have the stumps of their amputated limbs cleaned and treated. Many of them had tuberculosis as well as leprosy.
A shorthand typist, working with medical social workers helping patients sort out their finances and other matters, Sheila visited one particular patient on the day he was being discharged.
As she said goodbye, she reached out and shook his hand – a simple act, but one which meant a great deal to the patient.
Having experienced hatred and rejection because of his leprosy, he was overwhelmed by the compassion and acceptance in a simple handshake.
Sheila’s empathy for people affected by leprosy continued down the decades. When she moved to the Scottish Borders and joined a local church, John Mcconnell from The Leprosy Mission Scotland (TLM) gave a talk on the issue to the congregation. Sheila remembers him bringing along a pair of protective sandals to show the audience.
“At that point I realised how prevalent leprosy still was,” she recalls. “We got the collection boxes and I think I must have started a regular donation then, and really it’s just gone on from there.”
Over many years, Sheila has supported the work of The Leprosy Mission Scotland through donations, sponsored walks, volunteer work and even organising a fundraising tea party.
Her lifetime of support was behind her decision to leave a legacy gift for the charity in her will. She says: “I support two charities including The Leprosy Mission Scotland. When I made my own Will, when my circumstances changed, I chose to leave gifts to both of them.
“I don’t have any dependents and I just think it is well worth doing.”
Sheila hopes that in the future her gift will not only help treat the medical aspects of leprosy, but also challenge the terrible discrimination people with the condition face, freeing them to live full and happy lives.
“What surprised me, and I learned more about once I was getting the bulletins and information from TLM Scotland, was the rejection and isolation that people can face because of leprosy, and the ignorance there is about the disease.
“It’s not just about treating the disease but the education projects that TLM Scotland does and the empowerment projects and self-help groups that are very important,” she adds.
“I think local people in the community being trained to help others with spotting symptoms is really wonderful.”
Approximately one person every two minutes is diagnosed with leprosy around the world – meaning the work of The Leprosy Mission Scotland is as important now as ever.
What surprised me was the rejection and isolation that people can face because of leprosy, and the ignorance there is about the disease