Kalanda

We got the news last night that a good friend of ours and a nurse that worked with Leo for most of the years he did Leprosy work, died yesterday morning in the Congo. 

Kalanda was one of those trustworthy guys that put all he could into doing his work well.  He got to be so good at diagnosing leprosy that he could be driving through a village and spot someone on the side of the road with the disease – early cases, not old burnt out ones with deformities.  Leo trusted his diagnoses and most were confirmed as positive by biopsy. 

Kalanda also cared enough to do a fantastic job of supervising the care and treatment of the leprosy and tuberculosis patients.  The drugs have to be taken consistently over a long period of time and often Kalanda would track patients down to make sure they kept at the treatment till they were cured.

Kalanda succumbed to one of the diseases he helped to treat for so many years – extrapulmonary tuberculosis.  I guess he gave his all.  He leaves behind memories of a man of God doing his best at his work.  Now he has his rest and peace.