Yeni Dewi Mulyaningsih, Companion to Children with Cancer
Yeni Dewi Mulyaningsih has been caring for children in their battle against cancer for the past seven years through the Taufan Community, giving them hope and joy.
By
Susie Berindra
·5 minutes read
SYAHIQ HARPI
Yeni Dewi Mulyaningsih
Yeni Dewi Mulyaningsih has boundless compassion and affection for children with cancer. The 43-year-old has been caring for children in their battle against cancer for the past seven years through the Taufan Community, giving them hope and joy.
A video titled “Happy Challenge YKT” uploaded to the Taufan Community’s Instagram account (@komunitastaufan) shows smiling volunteers in Taufan T-shirts. Similar to the TikTok makeup brush challenge, the volunteers toss the shirts between them as they do origami, tell stories and sing. The video is intended for the children with cancer who are being treated at Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital (RSCM) in Jakarta, to provide them with entertainment during the Covid-19 health crisis.
The Taufan Community also uses its Instagram account to raise funds for pediatric cancer patients and highly contagious childhood diseases. It has also initiated the 1,000 Diapers and Masks Movement to provide these health needs for children during the epidemic. Its website, komunitastaufan.org, provides information on the additional aid programs the community is running, such as distributing packages of milk and fruits to the children at RSCM on the occasion of World Fruit Day on 1 July.
“Our last visit to the hospital was on 1 March. During the pandemic, the community is continuing with its activities, although they are conducted online. We are continuing to distribute aid such as milk and diapers through rid-hailing ojek [motorcycle taxi],” Yeni Dewi, nicknamed Yanie, said on Monday (13/7/2020) when contacted in Jakarta.
She added that the community’s volunteers provided online care for the children through video calls. The volunteers used to visit the hospital regularly to keep the children amused through activities like singing, games and reading stories together. On occasion, the volunteers made house visits to see the children.
“At the beginning of the pandemic, it was sad to hear the stories of the patients’ parents. While we were able to listen to their accounts directly, they were done only by phone back then. Even though we now make video calls, we must be sensitive to their individual situations [...], as not all parents want to be consoled. It’s not easy for us or the patients’ parents during the pandemic,” said Yanie.
The Taufan Community founded by Yeni Dewi Mulyaningsih often holds events to entertain cancer patients.
Many of the community’s programs have been postponed. Yanie mentioned that the annual fun trip would not be happening this year. In addition, it has had to cancel the volunteer recruitment for this year. Over seven years, more than 500 people have volunteered with the Taufan Community. Dozens of people register as volunteers every year. After completing a one-year term, volunteers can choose to continue or discontinue with the community. The volunteers range in age from 20 to 50 years.
“This year, we plan to invite former volunteers to join us again. We want to do something for the community and cancer patients,” said Yanie.
Spirit and hope
The Taufan Community was born from Yanie’s desire to help boost the spirits and hopes of cancer patients and their parents. Her sympathy comes from her own experience. She was overwhelmed with grief when her fourth child, Muhammad Taufan, died on 1 May 2013 after a two-year battle against childhood leukemia.
It was hard for Yanie to manage her feelings of loss. A month afterwards, she revisited the RSCM. “It was like I was indulging my own ego, seeking comfort by visiting the hospital to speak with the patients’ parents and Taufan’s friends. Taufan made many friends when he was being treated at the hospital, because he was very funny,” Yanie recalled.
Yanie visited the hospital almost every day just to speak with the parents and play with the children. Not infrequently, she found herself getting to know new patients.
“On every visit to the RSCM, I spoke with the patients’ parents more. If there were new patients, I also spoke to them, so we gradually grew close,” she said.
ARSIP PRIBADI
Yeni Dewi Mulyaningsih accompanies and comforts cancer patients. She entertains in hospitals and visits to homes.
One day, Yanie met Zack Peterson from the Count Me In youth-led volunteer organization who had known Taufan. Zack suggested that Yanie become a volunteer and visit cancer patients.
“At first, I wasn’t sure about working as a volunteer. I did whatever I could. When I listened to their stories, I felt moved and fulfilled at the same time. It was even more the case if I could hug them,” said Yanie.
Yanie developed good ties with the doctors and volunteers at RSCM over the two years she attended to Taufan as he fought his cancer. The support Yanie gives to patients is not necessarily goods or money, but moral support. Her husband and remaining children were fully behind Yanie’s efforts to help the parents of children with cancer.
At first, I wasn’t sure about working as a volunteer. I did whatever I could.
Yanie also provided a variety of information that brought new hope to cancer patients. Aside from patients in Jakarta, Yanie said that she was often contacted by patients in regions such as Lampung, Padang, Papua and East Nusa Tenggara. Most of them asked her how to seek admission to referral hospitals for cancer patients.
In addition to visiting the cancer patients, Yanie also raised funds to help them. Her fundraising efforts marked a turning point, and she started thinking about setting up a volunteer group of her own. The new group was formally registered as a foundation on 29 Sept. 2014 and was named after her son. Thus, the Taufan Community was born.
Kompas
Yeni Dewi Mulyaningsih
The community has run many programs over the last seven years, like the Charity Art Festival, the 1,000 Diapers Movement, Younger Brother/Sister Birthdays, Care4 and the Fun Trip. It has helped 1,200 children by providing companionship, support and donations. Yanie continues to remain active in promoting compassion, raising spirits and offering hope.
Yeni Dewi Mulyaningsih
Born: Bandung, 5 March 1977
Husband: Ren Refly
Children: three living, two decreased
Education:
- State Economics 2/State Vocational 3 Bandung senior high school, 1996
- Bina Dharma Bandung junior high school, 1993
- Ciumbuleuit III Bandung elementary school, 1990
Occupation:
Founder/Chairwoman, Taufan Community foundation (est. 29 Sept. 2014)
