Triya* was enjoying a big bowl of bakso (meatball soup) when nurse Ria from Rachel House recently visited her home in South Jakarta. Simply seeing Triya eating a full bowl of bakso like any other eight-year-old girl brought a smile to Ria’s face and to that of Triya’s grandmother. This is because it demonstrates that Triya’s appetite is returning and her condition is stabilizing after several worrying months for all who care for this precious little girl.

Triya has been living with a serious illness since she was born – an illness that has had a tragic impact on her entire family. In 2018 alone, she lost her father, her mother and her little brother to the same deadly disease. Luckily for Triya, however, she has an angelic grandmother who showers her with love and cares for her as best as she can.

 

When there is hope, there is a way

At first her grandmother feared that the illness, combined with the sadness of the tragic loss would be too much to bear for this little girl. “I thought Triya would never survive, she was so skinny, looking very pale and there seemed no hope,” her grandmother said.

To be the sole caregiver of a beloved granddaughter with a serious illness is not easy. “Most of the time I don’t have the money to pay for the transportation cost to get Triya to her specialist appointments. I place our hopes every month on my youngest son to support the expenses. But when we are out of money, I walk. No matter how far the distance is, I will keep walking and carry Triya on my back to get to the doctor. And I always find a way to pay for the expenses for her medication. Before her parents died, they asked me to take care of her. I have made a promise to them that I hold as a sacred responsibility. I will hold my promise until the end of my life,” Triya’s grandmother said.

Since Triya was admitted to Rachel House’s service five months ago, nurse Ria has been working tirelessly to stabilize Triya’s condition and to support her grandmother. “The first thing we needed to do was to address Triya’s malnutrition and her problems with swallowing, so she can start eating properly and to take her medicines,” said Ria. “We made sure that Triya’s grandmother always had access to the medicines and that Triya was taking these on a regular basis, which is essential for keeping her disease at bay. This focus on her care, and the partnership with Triya’s grandmother is now starting to make a real difference to Triya’s health and hopefully her prognosis.” said Ria.

 

The joy of Friendship

Once she gets over her initial shyness, Triya is bubbly little girl. She loves to play hide and seek and adores her Disney’s princess coloring.

Triya enjoys going to school and loves being with her friends.  However, due to a skin rash that has intensified due to her illness, she has been reluctant to go to school lately. She said her friends had become too frightened to play with her.

Nurse Ria supported Triya’s grandmother to address these problems by consulting with a skin specialist, and worked with the family to improve the hygiene conditions in their tiny home. On our most recent visit, Triya’s skin condition has shown significant improvement, and she is hopeful and so excited to be able to go back to school again soon.

Children like Triya, orphaned and left under the care often only by a grandmother, tells the devastating tale of many of Rachel House’s patients. Equipped with the clinical skills to support the child and family, and love in their hearts to care for the plight of these children, our nurses count their blessings for the faithful support and generosity of spirit of our supporters and donors. We thank you for walking this journey with us – so that every child can live with the joy and dignity that they deserve.

Will you help us support more children like Triya living with serious illnesses, and their families, to live pain-free and with dignity? Donate here.

*All names have been changed to protect the privacy of patients and their families.