ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Kalawao, Hawaii

Kalawao is a place in Hawaii that is a little bit different than other places. It used to be a place where people with a sickness called leprosy were sent to live a long time ago when people didn't know as much about how to treat it.

Leprosy is a sickness that can hurt a person's skin and nerves, and it can make them lose feeling in their hands or feet. Because people didn't know how to treat it back then, they thought that the way to stop it from spreading was to send people away from their families and friends so they wouldn't get sick too. This was really sad for the people with leprosy because they had to leave everything they knew behind.

The government made a place in Kalawao for people with leprosy to live, and it was like a small town. There was a hospital where doctors and nurses could help people, and there were houses where people with leprosy could live with their families if they wanted to.

But Over time, doctors learned more about how to treat leprosy, and they found medicines that can help people with it get better. This meant that people didn't have to be sent away anymore, and they could stay with their families and friends.

Now, Kalawao is still a special place to remember what happened in the past. Some of the houses and buildings are still there, and you can visit them to learn about what life was like for people with leprosy. Even though it's sad that people had to go through that, Kalawao can help us remember how important it is to take care of people who are sick and to try to find ways to make them better.