13-year-old Faith Senilagakali Vosaki, the youngest leprosy patient in Fiji, is preparing to face the challenges of starting high school.
The Ministry of Health says Leprosy, or Hansen’s disease, is a chronic infectious disease caused by the Mycobacterium leprae bacteria and it can affect the skin, nerves, eyes and the lining of the nose.
They say Vosaki who is from from Lau, began leprosy treatment at the Tamavua Twomey Hospital after a medical outreach in Ogea and is now heading to Dudley High School in Suva.
While speaking about his daughter’s condition, Saimone Vosaki says one of the main concerns for his daughter is how her new classmates will react to her condition.
He says they have told her to face the week ahead head-on and to always think positive.
The father says he also made an appeal to the teachers and students of Dudley High School, urging them to accept his daughter without judgment.
He expresses his hope that the school community would treat her just like any other student.
Meanwhile, during World Leprosy Day celebrations in Tamavua, Minister for Health, Dr Atonio Lalabalavu, expressed his support for Faith’s determination to continue her education despite the difficulties posed by her condition.
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