"I wrote the letter, as I always watched the president on television handing out bicycles to children as a gift. However, I realize I do not have feet, so I hope he would give me a wheelchair," Rudianti remarked.
Pekanbaru, Riau (ANTARA News) - Bulan Karunia Rudianti, a third grade primary school student born without feet in Pekanbaru City, received a wheelchair from President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) after writing a letter to him.

Rudianti received the wheelchair at SDN 88, Pekanbaru, on Tuesday. A day earlier, an open letter of appeal to President Jokowi, written by the 10-year-old girl, went "viral" on social media.

"I wrote the letter, as I always watched the president on television handing out bicycles to children as a gift. However, I realize I do not have feet, so I hope he would give me a wheelchair," she remarked.

The letter was written by Rudianti last week, and she uploaded it on her Instagram account. She already has a wheelchair but has outgrown it, and now, it is used in school only while studying.

Meanwhile, Rudianti balances her body on a skateboard while playing outside the house.

Rudianti is the third child of Purwanti and Rudi Arifin. She was born without legs on July 7, 2007, as she was suspected to have contracted the toxo virus in her mother`s womb.

"I just found out that my daughter wrote the letter when I checked her bag and found the paper on Sunday," Bulan`s mother, Purwanti, noted.

Purwanti had not told her daughter to write the letter, and it was Bulan`s own initiative due to her high self-confidence despite being disabled.

"We have no money to buy a wheelchair, but Bulan said the gift from the president will be different, as it will be memorable in her life," she stated.

The wheelchair from President Jokowi was delivered by Head of Riau`s Health Office Mimi Nazir to Rudianti. The Health Ministry responded promptly to Rudianti`s letter since it went viral on social media.

"The Riau provincial government also invites Bulan to get her condition checked at the Regional Public Hospital (RSUD) of Arifin Achmad to receive further treatment," she revealed.

Nazir further expressed hope that Rudianti would receive prosthetic limbs for conducting her daily activities. Meanwhile, Rudianti continues to use a prosthetic limb made of pipes by her parents, but it cannot be used for walking.

Reported by FB Anggoro
(T.KR-TQA/INE/B003)
(T.SYS/A/KR-BSR/B003)

Reporter: SYSTEM
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2018