Style Design Studio

Before World War II Josefina Guerrero was the toast of Manila, young, vivacious and married to a wealthy medical student. Then in 1941 she discovered she had leprosy. Immediately she began treatment, but when Japan invaded the Philippines all the leprosariums were abandoned. Despite her disease Joey joined the underground, smuggling food, clothes, medicine and messages to POW's. She mapped out fortifications along the waterfront and the location of anti-aircraft batteries. When guerrillas discovered a newly-sown minefield where the 37th Division was scheduled to land in Manila, they asked her to get the message through. With little thought for her own life she trudged through miles of enemy encampments with the map taped to her back and delivered it safely. Because of her courage many dangerous missions were completed and the U.S. War Department awarded her the Medal of Freedom with silver palm for saving untold American lives. Amazingly, Joey was never caught. In fact, Japanese soldiers were horrified by the ragged little woman who shuffled through the streets of Manila. And even when she was stopped they didn't detain her long, once they recognised the swathed bandages and lesions of advancing leprosy.