Canadians Choose Gifts of Care

This holiday, Canadians are celebrating the season by providing life-changing care for people who suffer with leprosy and other neglected tropical diseases worldwide. Whether it’s immediate medical intervention, critical long-term support or community education, generous Canadians are making an impact.

This year, through the effect:hope Gifts of Care catalogue, Canadians are able to share in the stories of hope and restoration that happen every day through local effect:hope partners around the world.

Leprosy and other neglected tropical diseases have been around for over 4,000 years. For many, it is a surprise that they still exist today. For Nizamuddin, a 30-year-old man in Bangladesh, however, it has been a very real struggle.

He first discovered the symptoms of leprosy when he was just 18 years old. He noticed strange patches on his body only eight days after he married his wife, Regina. At first, he went to a local doctor who treated him for a basic skin disorder. Very quickly, his condition grew worse. His fingers began to “claw” and his leg developed an ulcer that caused him significant pain. His mother-in-law took him to Thakurgaon Leprosy Clinic in northern Bangladesh where he was properly diagnosed and began to receive Multi-Drug Therapy and counselling care.

It took three years of therapy for Nizamuddin to heal. During most of that time, he was bed ridden and unable to work. Thanks to the support of Canadians and the care he received, today he is now able to work and support his family. effect:hope’s local partner also invested in this family, providing them with the finances they needed to start a small grocery store and to send their two sons to school.

Nizamuddin says: “Had help not been there from Canada, I would have either died or ended up begging on the street.”

As we search for meaningful gifts for family and friends, it’s great to know we can help others in the process. Gifts in honour of a friend or family member can also be as simple as $11 for hospital supplies or gifts of ongoing healing at $33 per month.

effect:hope serves people suffering with leprosy and other neglected tropical diseases, providing them with life-changing treatment and support. Across the globe, through strategic partnerships with local partners, we facilitate systemic change that transforms individuals, families and communities – restoring health and dignity through medical, economic, educational and community programs. And this holiday season, Canadians have a unique way to be a part of that legacy.

For more information visit effecthope.org or call 1-888-537-7679.