Ananthraj can go back to normal living and continue his studies
Anantharaj is 21 years old and lives with his parents in a village in Villupuram District, Tamil Nadu. He had studied up to 12th standard Two years ago he was identified of leprosy. The Ulnar paralysis on his left hand could easily be noticed by any of his friends at school. He had taken the treatment for leprosy at the Villupuram District Hospital. Though he has the assurance that he is healed of leprosy, the course of medication and the visible disability of the fingers forced him to discontinue studies. After completing the treatment, he was referred by the district hospital to TLM Hospital at Vadathorasalur to attend to his disability and for further rehabilitative care. At the TLM hospital he underwent a corrective surgery on his fingers (Extensor to Flexor 4 Tail) in November 2010. After coming to Vadathorasalur, he learned about the Vocational Training Centre run for children from leprosy backgrounds, where he could also get trained freely. But Anantharaj is determined to go to college and continue University education. After the surgery and the physiotherapy care, he will be able have normal living and continue his studies.

Anantharaj’s reconstructive surgery (RCS) was sponsored by the Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited (CPCL) along with 19 others who had different kinds of surgeries at the TLM hospitals in Dayapuram and Vadathorasalur during the last week of November 2010. CPCL had supported towards the RCS and related procedures of 32 patients with a contribution of Rs.6.82 lakhs.

Suseendran
Diagnosis : Left Ulnar Paralysis Procedure: Capsulorraphy & pully advancement
Suseendran (23 years) lives in small village near Vrithachalam. To win his daily bread, he was working as a helper boy at a sweet stall in Tiruppur. He had been identified of leprosy and completed treatment from the nearest government hospital. After treatment, with further complications, he was referred to TLM Hospital by the Govt. Hospital. Suseendran had one year of deformity to his left hand.

Geetha
Diagnosis: Bilateral Ulnar Median Paralysis Procedure: Right opponens plasty using EIP
Geetha (19 years) worked in textile and dress material shop after finishing 12th standard at Kadalur where she lives. Seeing the patches and later developing deformity, she had to quit her job. She completed MDT one year ago and was referred for the surgery by the Kadalur DLO. Geetha and her mother are concerned if news about her disease will be known to others.

Kasthuri
Diagnosis: Left Ulnar paralysis Procedure: Extensor to Flexor 4 Tail Ring finger DFLB
Kasthuri (21 years) is mother of a one and half year old boy. Her husband works on daily seasonal job at a nearby district. Neither her husband nor others in the family knows that she is affected by leprosy. She was diagnosed of the disease at the TLM hospital and was referred for treatment at the nearest PHC. She finished MBMDT four months ago and was referred back to the hospital due to deformity on her left hand. She has come for RCS while her husband is away from home quite some time for work.

Malathy
Diagnosis: Right Ulnar paralysis Procedure: Palmaris Longos 4 Tail
Malathy (26 years) is a BE graduate and works as a lecturer in an engineering college. She is married and mother to a one year old son. She had gained clawed hands seven months ago. All her treatments for leprosy were from private hospitals including an ulnar de-compression surgery a few weeks ago. The hospital had referred her to TLM for the Reconstructive Surgery.

Thanks to CPCL; after the reconstructive surgery at the TLM hospitals, all of them will continue to weave their dreams of a better living without any disability and social stigma.


TLM & CPCL, RECONSTRUCTING LIVES

Chennai Petroleum Corporation Ltd (CPCL) joins hands with The Leprosy Mission Trust India (TLM) in restoring lives disadvantaged and disabled by leprosy, through Re-Constructive Surgeries (RCS). The CPCL sponsored towards the cost of 32 corrective surgeries for leprosy- healed patients from Tamil Nadu, ushering them back to normal living and helping them make a life of their own once again.

Reconstructive Surgery
Leprosy cured persons with physical deformities and ready for corrective operations are helped with reconstructive surgery. Through the surgery, the affected are enabled with improvement in function and the deformity made less noticeable through improvement in appearance. Surgeries are done on hand, leg and eye through tendon transfer and reconstruction of tissues.

The CPCL sponsored towards conducting RCS on 32 patients. All of them were treated and healed of leprosy earlier at TLM hospitals or through the PHCs or district government hospitals. They went through different tests and physical examinations before they were posted for surgery. the surgery will follow several after care procedures and followups to make the corrected organs effective.

The first set of surgeries was conducted in the TLM Hospital at Dayapuram, Manamadurai during 23rd to 25th and at TLM Hospital, Vadathorasalur, Villupuram during 26th to 30th November 2010 for a total of 19 patients. The CPCL team also visited the surgery patients at the TLM hospital, Vadathorasalur on the 28th and interacted with several of them.