7 Year-Old Anwaf required brain surgery to remove a tumour
Aaron and Halimah have suffered more than many parents. For over 9 years, Halimah cared for her sick parent with diabetes, who eventually passed away, but the cost of treatment over a long period of time left a large debt. In order to pay the debt, Halimah became a migrant worker in 2008 in Saudi Arabia. Aaron, (her husband) also went to Saudi Arabia in 2011. In 2012, Aaron and Halimah returned to Indonesia to prepare Anwaf for elementary school.
From the age of 2, Anwaf started to show signs of a medical problem, having a seizure that resulted in hospitalization for 8 days. At that time, Halimah had not yet relocated to Saudi Arabia and she was able to take care of Anwaf while he was in hospital. Once Anwaf was out of hospital, Halimah journeyed to Saudi Arabia. At the age of 4, Anwaf started having more seizures. Halimah attempted to return to Indonesia to care for him, but her employer in Saudi Arabia prohibited her from leaving until her after her contract had ended.
Finally at the end of 2011, after paying a “fee”, Aaron went to Saudi Arabia to pick up Halimah and it was only then, in 2012, that they were able to return home to Indonesia and finally live together as a family again in a village in East Lombok.
In 2013, Anwaf started Grade 1 at school. In July 2013, he suddenly fainted at school and was rushed to hospital. After 8 days of hospitalization in the RSU Selong, Anwaf was finally transferred to the Provincial General Hospital in Mataram. He underwent a CT scan, it was found that there was fluid in Anwaf’s head and he required surgery. In order to pay for this surgery, Aaron and Halimah pawned their family’s rice field operating costs.
Simon Cottrill, the President of Handle With Care International with 7 Year old Anwaf
Aaron and Halimah begin to get concerned about the large medical costs accumulating and, upon arriving at the Jamkesda Sanglah, the treating doctor suggested that an MRI be performed in order to know the exact details of Anwaf’s tumour. Anwaf was then transferred to the Mother’s Love hospital for the MRI (as Sanglah did not have the facilities to perform an MRI). Pawning the remaining part of the family owned rice fields, enough money was raised and an MRI was finally performed at the Mother’s Love hospital.
The MRI results showed that Anwaf had a Pineal Brain Tumour, and surgery should be performed however, once again, Sanglah did not have the facilities to perform this surgery. The doctors recommended that Anwaf be transferred to the Mother’s Love hospital for surgery. The costs were expected to reach $2,750 for the operation itself, with post-operative recovery costs estimated to be around $4,300.
Currently, Anwaf has already undergone the surgical removal of the tumour and is now undergoing therapy in the recovery process. This is now estimated to cost about $3,250 at the Mother’s Love Hospital.
Handle With Care International are honoured to be able to provide funding to support Anwaf’s future medical treatment, and have opened a specific option for donations to go to assist Anwaf and his family financially while Anwaf recovers.
If you can help, please donate below - this money will specifically be allocated to cover costs of Anwaf’s recovery.
Update 12 November, 2014- Thank you to all those who donated. We have been able to fully fund Anwaf’s recovery
Update 6 May, 2015 – HWCI has received sad word that Anwaf’s cancer grew back over the past 6 months. The doctors placed him in palliative care and he passed away on the 5th of May, 2015. Thank you for your support. Anwaf’s quality of life, despite short, was improved thanks to your generosity. We received word that his family was very thankful for the support they received. This is a very sad outcome as we had all wished the best for Anwaf and his family.
