Oleh GRACE AUKA-SALMANG
Tetesan Air Mata Ibunda, Kota Tua Port Moresby, Melangkah Tanpa Alas Kaki, KETIKA saya ingat, saya bertanya pada diri sendiri apakah itu layak untuk diperjuangkan, menulis cerita tentang kanker ini dan pada akhirnya merenggut nyawa seorang anak yang diikuti oleh makalah ini sejak hari dia meninggalkan desa asalnya hingga dia mencapai Port Moresby.
Saya hanya tahu sedikit tentang Peter Kecil ketika saya pertama kali bertemu dengannya pada hari Minggu, 27 Maret 2022 di Rumah Sakit Umum Port Moresby, Bangsal Anak, dan dua hari setelah dia diterbangkan ke Port Moresby.
Permohonan bantuan Little Peter di media sosial didengar oleh mantan perdana menteri dan Anggota Ialibu-Pangia Peter O'Neill, yang menanggapi baik dalam bentuk tunai maupun kebaikan dan bahkan sampai menampung Peter kecil dan keluarganya di Paddy's Hotel di Port Moresby, dengan tujuan memberikan miliknyasenama kesempatan kedua dalam hidup dengan mencari layanan perawatan kesehatan yang tepat di PMGH.
Peter menderita retino-blastoma, kanker mata yang terlihat pada anak-anak berusia antara 0 hingga 5 tahun.
Meski kesakitan, Peter adalah seorang petarung sejak dia menerima perawatan medis di rumah sakit. Sejak saat itu, keluarga merasa lega karena mereka menjadikan Panti Asuhan Anak PMGH sebagai rumah kedua mereka selama 10 bulan ke depan.
Tantangan yang dialami anak dan keluarganya untuk keluar dari tempat yang sangat terpencil di sisi lain daratan New Guinea dan pergi ke ibu kota untuk mendapatkan perawatan medis yang layak dengan sendirinya merupakan kisah sukses, yang sayangnya juga menjadi terlalu umum di PNG di mana tertentuperawatan spesialis tidak tersedia di rumah sakit provinsi.
Setelah melakukan perjalanan dengan berjalan kaki selama beberapa hari untuk mencari pertolongan medis yang mendesak di Provinsi Madang, permintaan bantuan mereka untuk mendapatkan bantuan spesialis terdengar.
Menurut dokter anak onkologi PMGH, Dr Gwenda Angga, pemeriksaan terakhir Peter dilakukan Oktober tahun lalu dan dia disuruh pulang ke provinsinya.
“Dia telah menyelesaikan pengobatannya, karena untuk semua kanker anak-anak, kami harus menindaklanjutinya selama lima tahun, sebelum kami dapat mengatakan bahwa mereka bebas kanker,” katanya.
"Dengan luasnya tumor pada presentasi awal kepada kami, ada kemungkinan tumor itu bisa kembali, tapi kita lihat saja nanti."
Menurut Dr Angga, ini tampaknya merupakan kasus khas retinoblastoma mata (tumor retina) yang sayangnya merupakan penyebab umum kematian anak-anak seusianya.
Peter terlahir sebagai anak laki-laki kecil yang sehat sampai dua tahun lalu ketika dia mengalami pertumbuhan di matanya.
Begitu tumbuh, orang tuanya mengira itu hanya luka kecil dan secara alami akan sembuh lagi.
Namun, seiring berjalannya waktu, pertumbuhan meluas dan mengingat lokasi geografis tempat tinggal mereka, akses ke fasilitas kesehatan dan nasihat spesialis menjadi tantangan. Dr Angga adalah salah satu dokter yang memantau secara ketat Peter Kecil.
Peter memulai pengobatan, yang dapat ditoleransi dengan baik, dan telah menjalani enam siklus kemoterapi, pembedahan, kemudian kemoterapi setelah pembedahan.
Peter menerima perawatan dalam stadium lanjut penyakitnya dan digambarkan sebagai pejuang meskipun tunanetra.
Setiap kali saya mengunjunginya untuk mendapatkan kabar terbaru dari orang tua dan dokternya, dia adalah anak yang cerewet dan selalu penasaran dengan apa yang ada di sekitarnya.
Sayangnya, para dokter melakukan apa yang mereka bisa agar Peter dapat mengobati rasa sakitnya dan dia dipulangkan dan dikembalikan ke Madang karena kankernya telah mencapai stadium akhir dan tidak ada pilihan medis lain selain pulang ke rumah.
Pada tanggal 14 Maret tahun 2023 ini, saya menerima pesan melalui Whatsapp dari kakek Little Peter, Daniel Maire, berterima kasih kepada Post-Courier karena telah membantu Little Peter.
Dia berkata: Liklik Peter em kam orait, em kamap tokativ (Dia baik-baik saja dan telah menjadi cerewet) dan berkeliling desa dan menari mengikuti musik yang dia dengar.
“Kedua matanya buta selamanya, namun otaknya selalu waspada saat dia menggoyangkan tubuh langsingnya yang panjang ke suara musik dan selalu berbicara tentang pergi ke sekolah.”
Saya senang mendengar berita bagus tentang Peter dan meminta Tuan Maire untuk terus mengabari saya tentang status atau kehidupannya di komunitasnya.
Namun minggu lalu, pada hari Kamis, saya diberi tahu kabar buruk bahwa Peter Kecil tidak dapat bertahan lebih lama lagi meskipun harapan yang dia tunjukkan dan telah diwariskan.
Kurir Pos - 11 April 2023
.
Post. Admind
Terjemahan.
LITTLE PETER WAS A REAL CHAMPION
Post Courier - April 11, 2023
By GRACE AUKA-SALMANG
WHEN I recall, I ask myself if it was worth the fight, writing this story about cancer and in the end it took away the life of a child that this paper followed through from the day he left his home village until he reached Port Moresby.
I knew little about Little Peter when I first met him on Sunday, March 27, 2022 at the Port Moresby General Hospital, Children’s Ward, and two days after he was flown into Port Moresby.
Little Peter’s plea for help on social media was heard by former prime minister and Member for Ialibu-Pangia Peter O’Neill, who responded both in cash and kind and even to the extent of accommodating little Peter and his family at the Paddy’s Hotel in Port Moresby, with the aim of giving his namesake a second chance in life by seeking proper health care service at the PMGH.
Peter suffered from retino-blastoma, a cancer of the eye seen in children ages between 0 to 5 years old.
Despite in pain, Peter was a battler from the day he received medical attention at the hospital. From that time on, it was a relief for the family as they made PMGH Children’s Ward their second home for the next 10 months.
The challenges that the child and his family went through to get out of a very remote place on the other side of mainland New Guinea and to get to the capital city for proper medical attention is in itself a success story, which unfortunately is also becoming too common in PNG where certain specialist care is not available in provincial hospitals.
After travelling by foot for several days in search for urgent medical attention in Madang Province, their call for help to get specialist help was heard.
According PMGH oncology paediatrician, Dr Gwenda Anga, Peter’s last review was done last year in October and he was told to return home to his province.
“He has completed his treatment, as for all childhood cancers, we will have to follow them up for five years, before we can say they’re cancer free,” she said.
“With the extent of the tumour on initial presentation to us, there is a chance that it may return, but we’ll see.”
According to Dr Anga, this appears to be a typical case of retinoblastoma of the eye (tumour of the retina) which is sadly a common cause of mortality for children his age.
Peter was born a healthy little boy until two years ago when he developed a growth in his eye.
Once he developed the growth, his parents thought it was just a small sore and would naturally heal again.
However, as time went by, the growth expanded and given the geographical location they were living at, access to health facilities and specialist advice was a challenge. Dr Anga is one of the doctors who has closely monitored Little Peter.
Peter started treatment, which he tolerated well, and had undergone six cycles of chemotherapy, surgery, then chemotherapy after surgery.
Peter received treatment in advanced stages of his illness and had been described as a fighter despite being visually impaired.
Whenever I visited him to get updates from his parents and doctor, he was such a talkative kid and would be curious of what was around him.
Unfortunately, the doctors did what they could for Peter to treat his pain and he was discharged and returned to Madang because the cancer had reached its final stage and there is no other medical option but to return home.
On March 14, this year, 2023, I received a message via Whatsapp from Little Peter’s grandfather, Daniel Maire, thanking Post-Courier for helping Little Peter.
He said: Liklik Peter em kam orait, em kamap tokativ (He is okay and has become a talkative) and goes around the village and dances to any music that he hears.
“Both eyes are blind forever, yet, his brain is always alert as he shakes his long slim body to sounds of music and always talks about going to school.”
I was happy to hear such great news about Peter and asked Mr Maire to keep me updated on his status or life in his community.
However last week, on Thursday, I was told the bad news that Little Peter could not hang on any longer despite the hope he exhibited and had passed on.
Post. Admind
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar