I just started reading Moloka'i by Alan Brennert. It's a story about a little girl who contracts Hansen's Disease--leprosy--in 1892. It is supposed to be an uplifting story, but right now the 6 year old girl is starting to show signs of the disease, so it might be a tough read for a while. I went to Moloka'i 5 years ago and saw Kalaupapa from the landing above the peninsula. This is what I wrote at the time:The Kalaupapa Peninsula is a piece of land nestled up against the north shore of Hawaii’s Island of Molokai. The peninsula juts out from some of the world’s largest sea cliffs. The cliffs are a majestic deep green color that leads your eye down to the rich blue water that surrounds the Islands. The Peninsula and her surroundings are unfathomably beautiful.
The Peninsula was also the site of unspeakable horror from the mid-eighteen hundreds through the 1940’s. What was once a viable Hawaiian community and haven for travelers seeking refuge from a rough sea became a name synonymous with terror.
King Kamehameha V declared the peninsula to be a holding tank for Hawaii’s victims of Hansen’s Disease. Hawaii’s now infamous leper colony was born. Prior to the 1940’s, leprosy—or more properly, Hansen’s Disease—was a widely misunderstood disease, and one whose name registered intense fear. It was felt that leprosy was an extremely contagious disease.and a diagnosis of HD was deemed a crime. The victims were banished to Kalaupapa—left to fend for themselves, never see their families again, and die an unpleasant death.
Father Damien—known as the “Martyr of Molokai” arrived on Kalaupapa in the late 1800’s and spent sixteen years caring for those in the colony. He acted as priest, caregiver, doctor, nurse and even carpenter before succumbing to the disease. He is widely recognized as the man who brought humane conditions to an inhumane situation.
By the 1940’s, modern medicine caught up with Hansen’s Disease and rendered it curable. What was once synonymous with terror is now known—somewhat ironically—as one of the least contagious of the communicable diseases. The vast majority of people have a natural defense to the bacteria that causes Hansen’s Disease. Approximately 4% of the population is susceptible to the disease, which is transmitted via direct contact with an infected person. Leprosy is still a concern in parts of the world without access to modern medicine.
The isolation and quarantine that chastised this beautiful land was finally lifted in 1969. Those who were banished were now free to go. However, the former victims were promised a place to live if they chose to stay. Many apparently did choose to stay.
Access to the peninsula is extremely limited. Visitors are welcome as guests of the residents or the Board of Health. There are sanctioned tours available as well. Perhaps there will come a day when the beautiful Kalaupapa Peninsula will once again be fully accessible and will regain its place as a vibrant and active Hawaiian community—and the legacy of leprosy will follow its namesake into obscurity.
--Compiled from information gathered at displays around the Kalaupapa Lookout.
Note: Father Damien is now Saint Damien.
