Miss Pessimist: I almost forgot to answer your question :p

(Sorry for my english If I make mistakes)
Though Helena's parents had an completely invented sickness, and I don't want to hold myself accountable to how exact I represent a sickness XD

I did inspire myself from leper and tifus.

Leper because of the skin marks and how contagious it is. Though I didn't include how serious leper really is, thought putting flesh on the floor wasn't that necessary and didn't want Helena to be sick ....

Tifus because this story's idea was inspired by an oldie show that I love called "Little House on the Prairie", inspired on Laura Ingalls's memories (a book).

There is an episode in the show in which the whole town contracts Tifus from rats that were living in a neighbor town.

And just the events there and some other things created in me this story, though now It's completely different from when I first imagined it some years ago.

Hope that answers your question :)

So If you already knew about this diseases hope you know I wasn't really representing them ( I would be failing miserably).

But hope anyone with this scientific/documentary/ curiosity can benefit from searching those diseases. (I'm in love with knowledge, documentaries and books)

Thank you for reading my story and If you got here, this super long paragraphs :') Hope you're enjoying \(^-^)/