Heryanto makes 60 percent recovery: Doctor

After two months of intensive medical treatment, Heryanto, an elementary school student who was paralyzed during an aborted suicide attempt two months ago, has greatly improved, a doctor at a hospital in Bandung said on Wednesday.

"He has made a 60 percent recovery," Suganda Tanumihardja, the leader of the medical team treating Heryanto at the Hasan Sadikin Hospital in Bandung, was quoted as saying by Antara.

He added that the conclusion was based on an evaluation conducted by the team a day earlier.

Since last week, the 12-year-old boy has been eating and drinking by himself, and has even started to walk around the hospital, the doctor said.

Despite the great improvement in Heryanto's health, he admitted that Heryanto had suffered brain damage.

Heryanto's memory had only improved slightly since he was admitted to the hospital two months ago, and he was still not able to remember things such as his favorite music or the names of family members and relatives, said the doctor.

"Heryanto should continue to undergo therapy in the hospital to make sure that his memory has recovered before he is transferred to a hospital in Garut or nearer to his home," he said.

The doctors were now attempting to stimulate Heryanto's memory by playing his favorite music and inviting his friends to visit him, he explained.

He said, however, that it was tough to revive Heryanto's memory. "The capacity of his brain has shrunk due to a lack of oxygen after his suicide attempt. But, we will try our best to restore his memory," said Suganda.

Heryanto, a student at the Muara Sanding elementary school in the West Java town of Garut, tried to end his life on Aug. 22 by hanging himself from a cable.

He was reportedly upset because one of his teachers had asked him to contribute Rp 2,500 (30 US cents) for the purchase of school equipment, but his parents could not afford the money.