Recovering Haryanto wins more empathy from artist, legislator

Recovering Haryanto wins more empathy from artist, legislator

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

An elementary school student who is undergoing intensive medical
treatment in a hospital in the West Java provincial capital of
Bandung received a special visit from an artist and a legislator
on Saturday.

The beautiful film star and singer, Sophia Latjuba was
accompanied by her four-year-old daughter Eva and Dwi Ria
Latifah, a legislator of the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI Perjuangan).

"I am truly concerned over Haryanto's fate. May he recover
soon so that he can resume his studies. This (Haryanto's case)
may be a good lesson for all parents to pay attention, even to
the smallest problems their children face," Sophia said

After chatting with the patient and his parents, Sophia
presented the family with a guitar and some money.

Haryanto's room was crowded with nurses and other patients of
the hospital's Intensive Care Unit for Children, who were curious
about the visitors.

Haryanto, from Sandang village, Garut West Java, has been
undergoing treatment at the hospital for more than three weeks,
since he attempted suicide by hanging himself with telephone wire
at his house on Aug. 22.

The sixth grader had been led to the attempt by his inability
to pay Rp 2,500 for the extracurricular activity of making birds
nests.

On the previous day, Yogyakarta Governor Hamengkubuwono and
his wife made a similar visit, declaring their readiness to be
foster parents for Haryanto and to finance his studies.

Many others, including private companies, have contributed
financial assistance to express their sympathy toward both
Haryanto and his family.

Meanwhile, Dr. Suganda, one of the team looking after Haryanto
at the hospital, said that there had been progress, but he needed
more time to fully recover.

"There is a possibility that he could be brain-damaged," he
said.