59-Year-Old Father Offered To Sell His Kidney To Pay For Son's Brain Cancer Treatment
"The only thing on my mind is that my son recovers."
By Katrina Khairul Azman — 03 Jul 2019, 04:04 PM
A man in Riau, Indonesia is making headlines for offering to sell his kidney in exchange for money to pay for his sick 23-year-old son's medical treatment
Photos of Eli Kristanto went viral among Indonesia media after he wore a sign that stopped people in their tracks at the entrance to Tanjung Balai Karimun port, Coconuts Jakarta reported.
The 59-year-old security guard wore a sign that said, "Kidney for sale. I am selling my kidney for the treatment of my child's brain tumour".
Eli told Kompas that he had done everything he could for his son, Elandra Wiguna, and that Indonesia's national healthcare program (BPJS) could only cover some of the costs of Elandra’s treatment due to its limitations.
With his condition deteriorating and their financial situation not improving, the father decided to sell one of his kidneys to continue covering the medical expenses for Elandra's treatment.
"The only thing on my mind is that my son recovers, so he can reach his future just like other children his age," Eli said
The 59-year-old did not know where to find potential buyers for his kidney, considering that selling human organs is a crime in Indonesia.
He decided to wear the sign at the port because he knew that many people pass by the area every day.
After the security guard's plight went viral, various government agencies came forward to lend a helping hand
The Karimun Health Agency moved Elandra to the Muhammad Sani Regional General Hospital (RSUD) from a hospital in Batam.
On 1 July, the 23-year-old was operated on by a team of neurosurgeons.
Coconuts Jakarta reported that the details of the operation and its success are vague, but that the hospital confirmed that Elandra's condition is stable.