Marriott bomb victim overcomes trauma

Marriott bomb victim overcomes trauma

Urip Hudiono, Jakarta

For Febby Firmansyah, 27, the biggest fear he has following the
JW Marriott Hotel bombing last year is not that of public places,
as one might expect, but rather of being hospitalized.

"I now get all nauseous every time I go to a hospital, or even
if I'm just near one," Febby told The Jakarta Post.

"I cannot bear remembering how I had to lie helplessly in the
hospital bed, with all those tubes sticking out of me, and
doctors, nurses and medical equipment all around me."

Febby, a marketing officer with oil and gas supplier PT Dharma
Muda Pratama, was attending a lunch meeting with some colleagues
in the Sailendra restaurant on the ground floor of the hotel on
Aug. 5 when the bomb shattered the front of the 33-story
building. Twelve people died and 147 others were injured in the
outrage.

After struggling to reach safety through the bodies and the
rubble with almost half of his body covered in burns, Febby was
then hospitalized in the Pertamina Hospital for three agonizing
months in an isolation room.

It was in this room that Febby and Deli Ratnasari exchanged
marriage vows, after the original date for the wedding had to be
put back due to the tragedy.

But life has moved on, and, in a happy development, the couple
are now expecting twins.

"My wife is in her third month of pregnancy," Febby said
happily, ignoring the fact that he has to confront his fear of
hospitals every time he accompanies his wife for her regular
prenatal examinations.

Febby still suffers from a number of physical limitations
resulting from his injuries in the blast. He still has to
regularly see a physical therapist in an effort to regain the use
of his hands, and is waiting for final skin grafts to his arms.

Febby has managed to come to terms with the terrible event,
and harbors no thoughts of revenge against the bombers.

"I have no desire for vengeance. What use would that be? It
would never make things better, would it?" he said. "The whole
event might have bruised and battered me, but it didn't take away
my spirit to live."

Febby, however, is still at a loss to understand how the
suspects could have believed that their actions were justified by
religious teachings, and the fact that many of those who were
convicted were given light sentences. Twelve of the 16 convicted
defendants received only between 3 and 10 years in prison.

"But I believe God will dispense His justice. I also accept
that what happened to me was fate," he said. "I am just grateful
that God has given me a second chance."

On Thursday, the survivors of the Marriott bombing held a
closed-door gathering at the hotel to mark the tragedy.

The gathering was attended by lawyer and human rights activist
Todung Mulya Lubis and poet Taufiq Ismail, who read out a poem to
the victims.

During the gathering, they agreed to set up a consultation
group for the victims, called "Forum 58" -- the number 58
representing the date of the terrible event.

Besides uniting the Marriott victims, the forum is also
intended to function as an emergency help group should any
similar disasters occur in the future.