Posted: 08/19/2012 at 5:55pm | IP Logged

Now, CBN International is giving victims the help they need.

Desman and Masliana have been waiting for the day for their son, Putra, to have surgery to repair a hernia in his lower abdomen. The child was only 2 years old when he was diagnosed with a hernia.

Now 7, his parents have helplessly watched their son struggle. All they can do is try to keep the hernia contained by using rubber underwear.

"The hernia doesn't hurt him when he puts it on," Masliana explained.

A doctor recommended surgery, but Putra's family simply couldn't afford it.

"The doctor said the cost of operation is around $500," his mother added. "At that time my husband was unemployed, so we couldn't afford the operation."

Not only were there young patients like Putra, but men as old as 70 were also lining up for hernia operations being done for free by CBN's Operation Blessing Indonesia.

Out of 132 patients being operated on that day, only one is Christian. The other 131 are Muslims, being brought there to be operated on at a partner hospital near the nation's capital.

Both corporate and individual donors work with Operation Blessing in Indonesia to do as much as they can to fill the demand for these surgeries across the archipelago.

"We have a number of requests from all over Indonesia to do hernia surgeries, in other places, other islands," Operation Blessing Indonesia worker Non Rawung said.

"But the problem for us is, first of all, we need to get the doctors," Rawung contued. "We need to pay the transportation and ... that hernia is not too popular for donors."

For Putra, who previously lived with so much difficulty, life will now change dramatically, as he can start to live normally for the first time without the suffering and humiliation caused by the hernia.

Thousands more now patiently wait for the opportunity for a surgery, while Operation Blessing Indonesia continues to do as many as they can, as soon as they can.

Source: CWN Christian World News