Girl lives with bullet in her head

Nani Afrida, Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh

The terrible headaches prevent Marlina, 16, from attending a full day of classes. It wasn't always this way, and before she was shot in the head last year, Marlina was an outgoing, eager student.

"I still have the bullet inside my head," the high school student explained to The Jakarta Post on Monday.

Apart from suffering regular headaches, Marlina is also unable to do any heavy work, so she no longer helps her parents and brothers and sisters around the house.

Marlina was shot in July last year during a clash between the Indonesian Military and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM). A stray bullet struck the girl as she cowered in her house in Tanjung Beridi village, Mantang Geumpang Dua district, Bireun, 257 kilometers from Banda Aceh.

"We took Marlina to Cut Nyak Dien Hospital in Lhokseumawe, which referred her to a hospital in Banda Aceh and then to Adam Malik Hospital in Medan," said Zulfikar, Marlina's oldest brother.

In Medan, doctors said that if they operated on Marlina she would likely die from blood loss. An X-ray showed that the bullet was lodged in the girl's cerebellum.

"There is no solution, maybe because we are poor and could not afford to pay for the surgery," said Zulfikar, adding that the family spent up to Rp 35 million (US$3,500) to send Marlina to Medan, raising the money by taking out loan and selling some of the family's land.

Over three decades of conflict in the province claimed thousands of lives, mostly civilians. With the peace deal signed by the government and GAM in Helsinki this August, the violence in the province has stopped but for victims like Marlina, help is still out of reach.

Zulfikar said that one time he went to a nearby Indonesian Military post to ask for financial assistance for Marlina's treatment, but was turned down.

"They said Marlina was the girlfriend of a GAM member so there was no need to help her. But we have nothing to do with GAM," he said.

Marlina returned to Aceh from Medan with the bullet still in her head.

"When the pain strikes, it really hurts. I take painkillers regularly to dull the pain," Marlina said.

School has become an ordeal for her, with the headaches making it almost impossible to concentrate on the lessons. But with the help and understanding of her teachers, she has been able to stay in school.

"I want to stay in school, no matter what my situation," Marlina said.