Kusnadi's dream laid to rest after bullet leaves him in coma<\/p>\n
By Ivy Susanti<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Engkus Kusnadi's dream of becoming an architect
\ncame to an abrupt halt when a bullet hit his head during last
\nFriday's shooting spree on Jl. Sudirman. He has been in a coma
\never since.<\/p>\n
A 19-year-old third-year student in the School of Architecture
\nat Jakarta University in East Jakarta, Kusnadi underwent head
\nsurgery early on Saturday at St. Carolus Hospital in Central
\nJakarta, but the doctors could do nothing except help keep him
\nalive with life-support equipment.<\/p>\n
In the Lukas room on the third floor of the hospital, Kusnadi
\nlies alone with the equipment attached all over his body.<\/p>\n
A respirator is attached to his right cheek near his mouth to
\nmaintain artificial respiration and keep him breathing. He is
\nsustained by intravenous feeding. A bruise is clearly visible
\naround his right eye.<\/p>\n
Even if he is able to survive, he would be a vegetable, Wisnu
\nAffan, an assistant to the university's rector for student
\naffairs, quoted the doctors as saying.<\/p>\n
\"He is brain dead. The chances of him regaining consciousness
\nare zero. He will have to be supported by a life-support system
\nfor an unknown period,\" Wisnu told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
He said that the hospital would continue maintaining the
\nstudent's life even though no further developments are expected.<\/p>\n
\"The hospital will give all the help it can,\" said Wisnu after
\na meeting between the team of doctors who operated on Kusnadi and
\nthe victim's family.<\/p>\n
Wisnu said that the doctors would not perform euthanasia on
\nthe patient as the practice was prevented by the hospital's code
\nof ethics.<\/p>\n
\"If they detach the equipment that means they will kill the
\npatients,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"He tastes or feels nothing,\" said a nurse who watched over
\nthe patient while her hand touched the respirator.<\/p>\n
First time<\/p>\n
Engkus, as Kusnadi was known to his friends, used to live with
\nhis parents and his younger brother on Jl. Kampung Rawa Sawah in
\nJohar Baru district in Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
His father, Cece, is a teacher at the nearby state-run Johor
\nBaru elementary school on Jl. Kramat Jaya Baru, while his mother,
\nTjitjih, is a housewife.<\/p>\n
Tjitjih said that her eldest son had never previously been
\ninvolved in any student movements or rallies. She said that
\nFriday's rally was the first time he had joined such a protest.<\/p>\n
\"He had no intention of taking part in student demonstrations.
\nHe was forced to do so that Friday, after his peers repeatedly
\nmocked him 'why do the architecture students not join us? Are you
\nsissy?'\" she said.<\/p>\n
She recalled that morning her son left home for the campus for
\na test.<\/p>\n
\"I told him to return early. I had no idea he was going to
\njoin the student rally. He used to get home before noon and say
\nhis Friday prayers at home,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Tjitjih said that he stuck to that routine but after Friday
\nprayers, Kusnadi went with five friends to Atma Jaya University,
\nwhere students and locals were trying to force their way to the
\nPeople's Consultative Assembly\/House of Representatives complex.<\/p>\n
Her son never returned. A friend of his told her that Kusnadi
\nand five others were jumping out of the university's fences to
\nhelp their friends when the shooting started at about 3:40 p.m.<\/p>\n
Engkus was shot, and while he was staggering, soldiers hit him
\nwith clubs, Tjitjih said.<\/p>\n
\"At about 4:30 p.m. someone called Tony from Atma Jaya phoned
\nme at home and told me that Engkus had been shot in his head and
\nwas being treated at Medistra Hospital. I was extremely shocked,\"
\nshe said.<\/p>\n
Tjitjih said that Kusnadi was moved to St. Carolus Hospital
\nfor surgery as there was inadequate medical equipment at the
\nformer hospital.<\/p>\n
At dawn on Saturday, Tjitjih arrived at the hospital to watch
\nover her son.<\/p>\n
\"I submit his fate to God. It's His will, although I cannot
\nbring myself to surrender him to God. He's a hero, he protected
\nother people,\" she said.<\/p>\n
The thing that will remind the parents of their son was the
\ndraftsman's board Cece bought four days before his son was shot.<\/p>\n
\"He wanted to be an engineer when he graduated from high
\nschool. We had just bought him the draftsman's board. It was
\nstill neatly packed. He was planning to study together with his
\nfriend last weekend,\" said Tjitjih, trying to hold back her
\ntears.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/kusnadis-dream-laid-to-rest-after-bullet-leaves-him-in-coma-1447893297",
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