With deep sorrow, the Leprosy Bulletin announces the passing of Fichrin Hidayat, a person affected by leprosy and participant in the Sasakawa Leprosy (Hansen’s Disease) Initiative’s Young Scholar Program. Fichrin was only 19 years old. The Bulletin is grateful to Hasan Basri, Fichrin’s friend and fellow Young Scholar, for writing the following tribute.
Contributed by Hasan Basri
Fichrin was one of four participants in the Sasakawa Leprosy Initiative’s Young Scholar Program in Indonesia, along with myself, Kasmawati, and Yusniati. Fichrin and I lived together in Makassar for three-and-a-half months, sharing accommodation, experiences, and stories. Of all my friends, Fichrin was the one I was closest to. Every evening after the activities, we would engage in intense discussions and talk about our dreams, struggles, and challenges. Fichrin had already finished multidrug therapy (MDT) treatment a while ago, but he suffered from frequent recurrent reactions.
Fichrin was one of four participants in the Sasakawa Leprosy Initiative’s Young Scholar Program in Indonesia, along with myself, Kasmawati, and Yusniati. Fichrin and I lived together in Makassar for three-and-a-half months, sharing accommodation, experiences, and stories. Of all my friends, Fichrin was the one I was closest to. Every evening after the activities, we would engage in intense discussions and talk about our dreams, struggles, and challenges. Fichrin had already finished multidrug therapy (MDT) treatment a while ago, but he suffered from frequent recurrent reactions.
I admired Fichrin’s spirit and determination. One evening I asked him, “Fichrin, aren’t you ashamed of your condition?” The reactions were making his skin blister and the treatment, Clofazamine, had dramatically changed his skin’s color. Physically, he was weak, but still he answered in a way that astounded me: “Mas (older brother) Hasan, can I be honest? I am here because I want to become an accountant and I want to join the fight of my friends who share the same fate. This program gives me the opportunity to achieve this.” I realized then that Fichrin was a person full of sincerity. He kept going, bearing the wounds on his body, fighting the stigma attached to him, and whenever he felt strong enough, he continued to learn, support his peers, and inform local communities about leprosy.
But Fichrin is now gone forever. He passed away on Dec. 22, 2024. This news broke our hearts, and we lost a passionate fellow activist. We don’t know if reactions were the main cause of his passing, or if there were other factors, but it is clear that he passed away in a heartbreaking condition. This loss made us reflect on how hard he struggled and on how little attention is paid to conditions like his.
Fichrin is not the only one who has died from a leprosy-related cause. In 2024, six people died in PerMaTa South Sulawesi* support areas. This should be of serious concern to government and leprosy support organizations. Recurrent reactions that are not treated properly pose a serious threat to persons affected by leprosy and can even cost their lives.
Goodbye, Fichrin. Your body may be gone, but your spirit will live on in our hearts. It will become one with our fight for the rights of those affected by leprosy. We will ensure that your struggle was not in vain.
* PerMaTa South Sulawesi is a people’s organization by and for persons affected by leprosy.
