Help bring Palliative Care to Indonesia's children

Joyous New Year to our GlobalGiving family!

May the new year bring wonderful beginnings filled with magical moments of joy, love and peace for you and your family. We are truly grateful for your generous support through the years, and look forward to continuing this walk with you to make a positive difference in the lives of the children living with serious illnesses.

To kick off this brand new year, we invite you to read a story about Sasha, one of the children under our care. Your contribution has made an astounding difference to her and her grandparents' lives, bringing back the beautiful hope for Sasha to live with joy and dignity that every child deserves. 

A year ago, Marni and Mahdi were deeply concerned about their 7-year old grandchild's well-being. Sasha’s scalp was oozing with green discharge that had a persistent and unpleasant odor. Sasha was also severely underweight and had a lingering cough and recurring fever. Their challenging financial circumstances made it difficult for them to access medical care for Sasha. Mahdi, the grandfather, takes on menial jobs such as house sitting and neighborhood security duty, while Marni works as a scavenger (garbage collector). Naturally this situation tickles your curiosity about Sasha’s parents; they tragically passed away three years ago.

Things took a turn for the better when their guardian angel, Nurse Putri from Rachel House, appeared at their doorstep a year ago, on her first visit to assess Sasha’s medical condition. During that initial visit, Nurse Putri was deeply moved by the grandparents’ remarkable strength in the face of these challenging circumstances. Sasha and her family share a small, rented house where six individuals reside: Sasha, her grandparents, an aunt, and two cousins. The house where they gather to share their laughter and stories at the end of the day, unfortunately, lacks proper ventilation and is dimly lit.

Through Rachel House, the family learned of Sasha’s diagnosis. Her body was struggling to battle a virus that attacked her immune system, breaking down her ability to fend off bacterial infections. From this finding, Sasha’s doctor started her on a strict regimen of treatment that needed to be closely monitored by Nurse Putri. Although Sasha’s grandparents showed an unwavering determination to administer the medication with strict discipline, Sasha's recovery was frequently hindered by the challenging economic circumstances faced by her family. Sasha has to accompany her grandmother on her scavenging work, as this was the only way her grandmother could ensure that Sasha takes her medication. Obviously, this meant that the child is exposed to situations of risk that continued to challenge her health and compromised her recovery.

Nevertheless, Sasha's loving grandparents remain committed to providing her with the essential nutrition she requires. Sasha's daily meals typically include rice, vegetable broth with either an egg or tempeh (fermented soybean) for her protein. Her absolute favorite, though, is fried chicken; her eyes always sparkle with delight when her grandmother says, 'I'm making fried chicken just for you today!' The heartwarming part is that these special treats are reserved for Sasha alone, as her grandparents cannot afford to prepare chicken for the entire family.

Exactly a year after Nurse Putri's initial visit, Sasha has successfully overcome the lung infections that plagued her, and her health was showing a remarkable improvement. It was a monumental victory, a testament not only to Sasha and her devoted grandparents but also to our guardian angel, Nurse Putri. Nowadays, Sasha dedicates her time to catching up on her speech development and indulges in her love for drawing. She recently presented Nurse Putri with one of her drawings—a heartfelt reminder of a life saved and a pure heart.

Once more, Rachel House offers a glimmer of hope in what sometimes feels like an endless, dark tunnel.