The Social Affairs Minister Persuades Parents of Children with Hydrocephalus in Sampang to Seek Treatment

SAMPANG (9 April 2023) – You can't imagine how happy Nurhayati was. A renowned guest unexpectedly arrived in her resignation due to the state of her daughter Anisa Tul Jennah (12), who could only lie in bed.

The unexpected guest was the Minister of Social Affairs Tri Rismaharini who was present at Nurhayati's home in Montor Village, Banyuates District, Sampang Regency, East Java.

The Minister arrived and greeted Anisa, a 12-year-old girl who had suffered from hydrocephalus since she was 3 months old. Even though they were persuaded to take her to the hospital, Anisa's parents were hesitant to undergo medical therapy, such as surgery, because they were afraid it might fail.

Until now, her body appears to be exceedingly thin, with only bones showing.

Tears could be seen dripping from Anisa's face as she lay helpless when the Minister greeted her and suggested that she be taken to the hospital for treatment.

"You want to go to the hospital, don’t you?" asked the Minister.

Anisa replied with tears and a low voice, despite her inability to respond. Anisa, according to the Minister, can still hear and respond to her greetings. So it is still possible to take her to the hospital.

"Anisa heard it; she heard what we said," the Minister continued.

Nurhayati and her husband Junik were moved to tears by the Minister's care for their daughter. The Minister also instructed Nurhayati and Junik to take Anisa to the hospital right away for treatment.

"It's okay to take her for treatment," said the Minister.

Nurhayati spoke about Anisa's illness. She became aware of Anisa's condition when the three-month-old Anisa experienced a high fever and seizure. Anisa was found to have a 40-cm-larger head after being evaluated by the medical team.

Nurhayati looked after Anisa when she was living in Malaysia at the time until she was seven months old. Nur then opted to return to her homeland while caring for Anisa at home.

Anisa was checked at the nearest health facility or community health center at home, but her condition has not improved. The Community Health Center continues to check on Anisa's health regularly by visiting her home.

"At the age of seven months, her condition was healthy, and her head was not this big. However, when we returned to our hometown, it grew even bigger," she explained.

Nurhayati also revealed that throughout the previous year, she had gotten varying degrees of aid from a variety of sources. Nur admitted that she was desperate to take Anisa back to the hospital for treatment, considering that Anisa's illness looked serious.

“Yes, there is assistance from donors and the government. I feel sorry for not taking her to the hospital anymore. What can I do? She's very thin already," she said, looking resigned.

A glimmer of hope emerged in Nurhayati's heart when the Minister visited her daughter. She stated that she was surprised and thanked Minister of Social Affairs Risma for her attendance. Nurhayati shared her feelings in a halting voice.

"I didn't expect Mrs Risma to pay so much attention to my child. I gave up, and thank God, Mrs Risma showed up at my door. Thank you for visiting and encouraging my child and us as her parents, Mrs Risma," said Nurhayati.

Not only did Social Minister Risma pay a visit, but she also provided direct Social Rehabilitation Assistance (ATENSI) worth IDR 9 million in the form of necessities, nutrition, personal hygiene equipment, and home equipment such as mattresses, pillows, bolsters, blankets, dolls, active speakers, and a flash disk for Anisa, who enjoys listening to the Quran. Then IDR 5 million in cash for Anisa's treatment's operating expenditures.

The attention assistance provided to Anisa is managed by the Margo Laras Center in Pati, which is the Technical Implementation Unit (UPT) belonging to the Ministry of Social Affairs.

"My prayer is that Anisa will recover quickly and be able to bring happiness to her family," said the Minister.

Risma was accompanied on this visit by the Head of the Margo Laras Center Jiwaningsih, the Secretary of the Sampang Social Office Slamet, the Deputy Head of the Sampang Police Jalaludin, the Head of Banyuates Subdistrict Fajar Sidiq, the Village Head of Montor Rohim, and social companions.