Tense Moment for Asri Welas When Eldest Son Loses Consciousness: 'Yesterday I Thought It Was Over....'

Dream - Asri Welas can breathe a little easier now that her son, Rayyan Gibran Ridha Rahardja, has regained consciousness after being in the intensive care unit (ICU). Currently, Rayyan has been moved to a regular ward to continue monitoring his health.

"Thank God he has woken up. As soon as the ventilator was removed, he immediately said 'mama,' 'papa.' He is fully conscious," said Asri Welas in Jakarta on Friday, June 16, 2023.

Asri is grateful that her son received prompt treatment from the hospital staff. The reason being, Rayyan had experienced seizures and lost consciousness.

"It hasn't even been 24 hours since Ibran regained consciousness, the ventilator was removed, and now he can eat," she added.

When Rayyan was unconscious, Asri admitted that she thought her son couldn't be saved anymore. The reason being, the symptoms of seizures and loss of consciousness had never happened to her child before.

"Yesterday, I really couldn't imagine it anymore. Allah is Good to Asri. Thank you for your prayers. Hopefully, we can get through this and he recovers quickly," she said.

Chronology of Asri Welas' Son Having Seizures and Losing Consciousness When Taken to the Hospital

Dream - Asri Welas' husband, Galiech Ridha Rahardja, recounts the chronology of their son, Rayyan Gibran Ridha Rahardja, who briefly lost consciousness and was rushed to the ICU of a hospital in Jakarta.

"It was a very shocking incident. It happened during Maghrib, and I had just finished work," said Galieh Ridha in Jakarta on Friday, June 16, 2023.

Usually, at that time, Galiech would see his son still active. But he was surprised when his son didn't respond when called.

"Then I was told by someone at home, 'sir, come here, your son seems unconscious.' When I saw him, indeed he seemed unconscious. When I tried to wake him up, he didn't respond," he explained.

Rayyan Gibran also experienced seizures. This condition even persisted until he arrived at the ICU.

"We took immediate action, but the seizures continued. They would stop for a moment, then start again. So he had to be placed in the ICU," said Yuni, a pediatrician at Melia Hospital.

Asri Welas was shocked to see her son's condition. Because Gibran had never experienced seizures before.

"Gibran has never had seizures before. When he came to the hospital yesterday, he wasn't feverish," she added.

Asri and the medical team are currently investigating the cause of Gibran's seizures. As of now, her second son is still in intensive care.

"We will do a CT scan and brain recording to find out why this happened," she said.

Asri Welas' Struggle in Caring for Her Son with Congenital Cataracts Since Birth

Dream - Asri Welas' second son, Rayyan Gibran Ridha Rahardja, or affectionately known as Gibran, has had a visual impairment since birth in 2017.

It is known that Gibran has a congenital cataract. At birth, Gibran had to wear glasses with +18 lenses to assist his vision.

"Those glasses greatly helped Ibran's development. At three months old, he could finally roll over and see the world. Before that, his vision was obstructed by cataracts," said Asri Welas in Jakarta recently.

Asri admitted that she was confused when she found out about her son's eye condition. Because her son's condition is quite rare in Indonesia, and information about congenital cataracts is limited.

"I can still vividly remember when my husband and I suspected that our second child, Ibran, had a vision problem. At that time, Ibran was only five months old, and we noticed that he didn't respond to movements in front of his eyes," Asri said.

Asri Welas' second son has already undergone surgery, but he cannot fully recover. Gibran still needs to wear glasses.

According to Asri, special glasses for congenital cataracts are necessary for children to optimize their growth and development. The price for these glasses is also different from regular glasses.

"These glasses cost millions. If a child is born with cataracts and doesn't receive support, their dreams will die. So with the glasses, their development is good, even though there are other viruses in their body," Asri explained.

On the other hand, Alexander Kurniawan, the CEO of Optik Tunggal, revealed that glasses for congenital cataracts are very expensive because they use special lenses that are comfortable for children.

"They cost nearly 10 million per pair, depending on the specific requirements. The price can be even higher, and logistics also need to be considered," said Alexander.

Meanwhile, considering the high price of glasses for congenital cataracts, Optik Tunggal has provided assistance in the form of 90 free glasses for underprivileged children with congenital cataracts.