Girl With Hydrocephalus In Lebak, Banten Needs Help For Treatment

Ani (18), a girl from Cisimeut Village, Leuwidamar District, Lebak Regency, has suffered from hydrocephalus since childhood and needs donations for medical treatment. (ANTARA/HO-personal documentation)

JAKARTA - Ani, a girl with hydrocephalus (fluid buildup in a brain cavity) aged 18 years from Lebak Regency, needs donors to cure the illness that has been suffered since the age of 4 months.

"Our child has started to get a headache that has swelled since he was 4 months old until now it has been 18 years old," said Aminah (55) Ida's parents at her residence in Cisimeut Village, Lebak Regency, Sunday, as quoted by Antara.

Currently, Ani's condition is limp on a stilt house made of wood and bamboo. The condition of her house is also unfit for habitation and there needs to be stimulant assistance from donors and the local government.

Ani's parents are now confused about the healing of their fifth child, especially since his father as the backbone of the family's economy has passed away.

In the past, according to Aminah, his son was taken to the local health center for treatment, but the family raised their hands after hearing that officers needed a fairly large operating fee.

Even though he has BPJS Health assistance from the government and can undergo free treatment, Aminah is still confused about how to meet the costs of waiting for daily patients.

"We also have difficulty eating every day, especially when we have to spend quite a lot of money undergoing the operation," said Aminah, who now lives in Sukarahmat Village, Cisimeut Village, Leuwidamar District, Lebak Regency.

According to him, his party hopes that there will be assistance from both the government and generous so that his son can undergo surgery and treatment until he recovers.

He admitted that in 2018 he had received assistance from the government in the form of Rp. 500 thousand and but until now he had not received any assistance.

Meanwhile, the Community Self-Residential Officer (PSM) of the Lebak Regency Social Service, Agus Rohmantika, said that his party had now distributed aid to Aminah's family.

The distribution of social assistance includes rice, family kits, blankets, mattresses, tarpaulins and ready-to-eat meals.

"We hope that the social assistance can ease the burden on the family's economy," he explained.

Meanwhile, Head of the Public Health Division of the Lebak District Health Office, Dr. Firman Rahmatullah, said that Ani's child from Aminah's mother had to be referred to the hospital, but it depended on the family's decision.

"We have carried out a health check on Ani and need to get medical treatment," he said.