Kusnadi's dream laid to rest after bullet leaves him in coma

By Ivy Susanti

JAKARTA (JP): Engkus Kusnadi's dream of becoming an architect came to an abrupt halt when a bullet hit his head during last Friday's shooting spree on Jl. Sudirman. He has been in a coma ever since.

A 19-year-old third-year student in the School of Architecture at Jakarta University in East Jakarta, Kusnadi underwent head surgery early on Saturday at St. Carolus Hospital in Central Jakarta, but the doctors could do nothing except help keep him alive with life-support equipment.

In the Lukas room on the third floor of the hospital, Kusnadi lies alone with the equipment attached all over his body.

A respirator is attached to his right cheek near his mouth to maintain artificial respiration and keep him breathing. He is sustained by intravenous feeding. A bruise is clearly visible around his right eye.

Even if he is able to survive, he would be a vegetable, Wisnu Affan, an assistant to the university's rector for student affairs, quoted the doctors as saying.

"He is brain dead. The chances of him regaining consciousness are zero. He will have to be supported by a life-support system for an unknown period," Wisnu told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

He said that the hospital would continue maintaining the student's life even though no further developments are expected.

"The hospital will give all the help it can," said Wisnu after a meeting between the team of doctors who operated on Kusnadi and the victim's family.

Wisnu said that the doctors would not perform euthanasia on the patient as the practice was prevented by the hospital's code of ethics.

"If they detach the equipment that means they will kill the patients," he said.

"He tastes or feels nothing," said a nurse who watched over the patient while her hand touched the respirator.

First time

Engkus, as Kusnadi was known to his friends, used to live with his parents and his younger brother on Jl. Kampung Rawa Sawah in Johar Baru district in Central Jakarta.

His father, Cece, is a teacher at the nearby state-run Johor Baru elementary school on Jl. Kramat Jaya Baru, while his mother, Tjitjih, is a housewife.

Tjitjih said that her eldest son had never previously been involved in any student movements or rallies. She said that Friday's rally was the first time he had joined such a protest.

"He had no intention of taking part in student demonstrations. He was forced to do so that Friday, after his peers repeatedly mocked him 'why do the architecture students not join us? Are you sissy?'" she said.

She recalled that morning her son left home for the campus for a test.

"I told him to return early. I had no idea he was going to join the student rally. He used to get home before noon and say his Friday prayers at home," she said.

Tjitjih said that he stuck to that routine but after Friday prayers, Kusnadi went with five friends to Atma Jaya University, where students and locals were trying to force their way to the People's Consultative Assembly/House of Representatives complex.

Her son never returned. A friend of his told her that Kusnadi and five others were jumping out of the university's fences to help their friends when the shooting started at about 3:40 p.m.

Engkus was shot, and while he was staggering, soldiers hit him with clubs, Tjitjih said.

"At about 4:30 p.m. someone called Tony from Atma Jaya phoned me at home and told me that Engkus had been shot in his head and was being treated at Medistra Hospital. I was extremely shocked," she said.

Tjitjih said that Kusnadi was moved to St. Carolus Hospital for surgery as there was inadequate medical equipment at the former hospital.

At dawn on Saturday, Tjitjih arrived at the hospital to watch over her son.

"I submit his fate to God. It's His will, although I cannot bring myself to surrender him to God. He's a hero, he protected other people," she said.

The thing that will remind the parents of their son was the draftsman's board Cece bought four days before his son was shot.

"He wanted to be an engineer when he graduated from high school. We had just bought him the draftsman's board. It was still neatly packed. He was planning to study together with his friend last weekend," said Tjitjih, trying to hold back her tears.