Leprosy story

In 1906 I, WIll Vallane admitted to Christchurch hospital that i was diagnosed with a disease called Leprosy, it was a disease that would affect your skin and nerves of the cooler region of the body- particularly the nose, throat, voice-box, fingers, and toes. It had even affected my eyesight and so it had been failing so sight was more of a blur to me.I was so contagious even people from a range of 2 meters from me could become infected. They immediately isolated me and moved me to quail island so I could no longer harm or affect anyone else.

I had been put in a large hospital and had difficulty trying to get comfortable in such a large open space just for myself. In 1907 the department of health constructed me a hut so I could be able to live the rest of my years being at least in a comfortable surrounding. Let's not forget, leprosy is incurable so until the government had something better to do with me i would stay isolated on this island.

The doctor would visit me once a month and relatives would visit me occasionally or every now and then. I had a caretaker on the island, Mr. Thomas. He would come to my house to feed me since i was not capable of doing it myself due to my eyesight. Although he was not allowed near me he would put my food down in a spot and back away so I could walk myself over to go get it, i wasn't able to do much but he would turn music on the gramophone for me. It would keep me settled during the day. He would as well hand me books to well, read, more like look at, i would ask for illustrated books because i love seeing the blurs of color on the page.

I got weaker by the day, and i knew myself i was slowly dying, and i was going to die alone. I had a gate around my cabin so no one could come in too close to me, and i couldn’t get out. I wish i could be able to walk around the island for the rest of my days and enjoy the water and sunny view. I wish i could’ve done a lot more than knowing that my life will end with nothing exciting to celebrate my life.

this is a replica of the leper cottage