BOGOR —— Rahayu (50) may have lost one of her limbs, but her zest for life remains undiminished. Due to her illness, she had to undergo an amputation of one of her legs.
“I do have diabetes. “The first amputation was because of a wound on this toe (pointing to her toe), and the way the surgery was done made it too weak; this part here started peeling off. So this is the second surgery,” said Rahayu when met at her home in Sukmajaya Village, Tajur Halang Subdistrict, Bogor Regency, on Monday (February 23, 2026).
Rahayu explained that she has undergone two surgeries on her right foot. The first surgery was only on her toe; a week later, an amputation had to be performed because the condition of her foot was worsening. She has been suffering from diabetes, she added, for about 9.5 years.
“It started when my child was 2.5 years old; now my child is 12 years old,” she explained.
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Despite her physical limitations and a husband who rarely comes home, Rahayu remains determined to make the most of life with her child. To provide for her family and pay the rent, she continues to work as a domestic helper.
“My daily routine at home is just tidying up—sweeping, mopping, cooking, and doing laundry. Yes, before I got the prosthetic leg, I was still using a cane. After tidying up the house, I head off to work at a housing complex; it’s quite a distance from here,” she said.
Before falling ill, Rahayu admitted she had only been working as a domestic helper for three months. When her leg became severely injured and had to be amputated, her employer was forced to temporarily lay her off. However, after receiving a prosthetic leg from the Free Health Services (LKC) program by Dompet Dhuafa in collaboration with PT Audy Mandiri Indonesia (Audy Dental), Rahayu was able to resume earning a living.
“Alhamdulillah, my employer has always been supportive of me. After I received the prosthetic leg, she wanted me back. I continued working rather than having nothing to do. When I didn’t have a leg yet, I had to stop for a while. Back then, I used a wheelchair to do housework,” she explained.
Rahayu was very happy and grateful for the prosthetic leg. She expressed her gratitude to Dompet Dhuafa and Audy Dental. Thanks to this assistance, she said she has become more productive and self-reliant.
“I don’t own a home yet; I’m currently renting. With the help of the prosthetic leg, I can afford the rent because I’m now productive and self-reliant. “May Audy Dental and Dompet Dhuafa be blessed, and may they help even more people,” she added.
Meanwhile, the landlord, Nurmah, also recounted the onset of the diabetes that afflicted Rahayu. She said that at first, the skin on Rahayu’s right toes began to peel. After being examined for two days, it got worse. From there, she said, Rahayu only took medication and regularly went for checkups at the hospital.
“Then, when it got really bad, she was taken to the hospital to see a doctor. From there, I just couldn’t bear to watch it. You know, for someone like us who’s struggling financially and then facing such a severe illness—it’s just heartbreaking,” she added, her eyes welling up.
Nurmah also revealed that once Rahayu had her prosthetic leg, she was able to return to work and meet her daily needs.
“So, once Mrs. Rahayu received her prosthetic leg, she was able to pay her rent regularly every month,” she said.
Nurmah hopes that, after receiving her prosthetic leg, Rahayu can regain her enthusiasm for life and smoothly carry out all her work.
“May she live with enthusiasm. May her work go smoothly. May she stay healthy. Thank you to Audy Dental and Dompet Dhuafa for providing the prosthetic leg for Mrs. Rahayu,” she concluded.
For your information, the provision of these prosthetic legs is a generous contribution from Audy Dental, made possible by the collection of zakat funds from its employees and channeled through Dompet Dhuafa with a focus on the Health Program.
Through Dompet Dhuafa’s LKC, these zakat funds are distributed as part of one of the pillars of Dompet Dhuafa’s LKC: advocacy. This pillar focuses on serving beneficiaries who lack health insurance, access to medications and medical supplies, as well as face barriers in accessing medical devices for patients with disabilities.
Rahayu is one of the beneficiaries of the medical device assistance program for patients with disabilities. Thanks to information from her neighbor, she was able to connect with the charitable collaboration between Audy Dental and Dompet Dhuafa.
This charitable collaboration also aims to improve access to healthcare services and the quality of life for people with disabilities and underprivileged patients. This initiative also serves as a manifestation of the trustworthy, targeted, and impactful distribution of zakat funds within the broader community.
From Rahayu’s story, there are many lessons to be learned. The spirit she maintains despite her limitations has not hindered her ability to rise up. Friends of Dompet Dhuafa can also support the spirit of people with disabilities and the underprivileged to rise again from adversity through HELP A FRIEND WITH A DISABILITY. (Dompet Dhuafa)
Text and photos: Moh Reynaldi Risahondua
Editor: Dhika