Last updated: July 8, 2026
Place
What is Hansen's Disease?
J.D. McVeigh Collection
A 61 year old Portuguese woman who came to Kalaupapa at the age of 19
Yes, I am disabled. My handicap is nerve damage. My fingers are crabbed up…and I live in a wheelchair…My philosophy of life is simple. It is to smile at people. I smile, they look puzzled, then smile back. It works, you know. I try to be happy, and make other people happy in some small way.
Nothing will convince me to leave Kalaupapa. Now I can leave to visit my children whenever I want. But I am resigned to this place as my final home. We all make the best of our lives here. This is it for us. This is the end of our fight. You know how it is . First, you catch the disease. You want to remain home with your parents, and they also love you and want you home. You fight against the isolation. I didn't want to believe my fate. So you fight it, you don't want to accept it. You fight yourself, the disease, the other patients, the Board of Health. Then finally, you give up, and find yourself. After being sent to Kalaupapa, we find love, we get married, even have children. All inside this place...
Overall, when I look back over my life, I have been lucky. My family never rejected me. And I found a wonderful husband. We had a good life together. I am still close to my family, and to my children. You know, my children were born inside, but my family hanai them. So I see my children, and my grandchildren. I am lucky!