January 22, 2008

Heal the sick… cleanse those who have leprosy...
Freely you have received, freely give.
Matthew 10:8

Dear Friends,

Former leprosy patients make prosthetic limbs at workshops at McKean Hospital.

I was privileged to visit a colleague who works at McKean Hospital in southern Chiang Mai and receive the guided tour. McKean Hospital was founded in 1908 by the Presbyterian missionaries Mr. and Mrs. McKean. Initially constructed as a leprosy hospital, McKean was the first leprosy center in all of Thailand. In the early years, leprosy sufferers walked to McKean from all over Thailand and from neighboring countries, even from as far away as China. There they found acceptance, shelter, and compassionate care, as well as the latest treatment for leprosy.

The hospital grew in stages of being a leprosy colony and hospital, to a leprosy rehabilitation center that provided physical and occupational therapy. Their goal was, and still is, to empower the patients to attain their maximum potential physically, to be psychologically healthy with a sense of self-worth and self-acceptance, and to be able to live productive lives with acceptance and dignity in their own community.

Leprosy is nearly eradicated, due to education and care, but McKean continues to administer treatment to a few rare cases of leprosy. The hospital is now more focused on elderly care and the care of disabled persons, and it also does vocational training. Quite a few former leprosy patients are now working for McKean, making handicrafts, constructing prosthetic limbs, and assembling and fixing bicycles. The island also has housing for assisted living patients.

Former patients make shoes for sale at McKean Hospital.

McKean is located on an island surrounded on one side by a river and the other side by a stream that connects to the river to create an island of sorts. The whole island is beautiful and lush and is its own self-contained community. I felt very thankful to have seen the center and talked with the staff and patients at McKean. McKean is a success story here in Thailand. There no longer is a stigmatization of lepers, as there once was, because the public has been educated about leprosy and the caring and nurturing work of the people who work at McKean. McKean continues to serve God by serving, rehabilitating, and offering hope to the sick, disabled, and elderly.

Sincerely,

The 2008 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 92