Ria Irawan Passed Away, Butet Manurung Remembers First Meeting & Reveals the Goodness of the Late

Kapanlagi.com - Indonesia once again lost one of its best artists. It is Ria Irawan who just passed away today, Monday (6/1) morning during the dawn prayer. Mayky Wongkar, her husband, said that Ria passed away at RSCM (Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital) in Jakarta.

Of course, this news is deeply saddening for many parties. Not only relatives, close friends, and fans, but also the education fighter Butet Manurung feels the loss of Ria Irawan who has been a cancer survivor for years.

Through her Instagram account, Butet, who is also the author of the book SOKOLA RIMBA, wrote, "Farewell true fighter, @riairawan. I salute your spirit of life and your always positive energy, our role model."

1. First Meeting with Ria Irawan

instagram.com/butet_manurung

Not stopping there, Butet Manurung also revealed the story of her first meeting with Ria Irawan, "First met you at Banda Aceh airport, on the third day after the tsunami on December 29, 2004. At that time, I was getting to know other nature lovers, including Tion, our friend in this picture. You also often joined us, not with other artist groups. Sometimes you joined the field trips, if I drove with assistance using a pick up or truck."

Furthermore, Butet also mentioned that Ria was a very funny and kind friend during her lifetime. She chose to upload a photo of their last meeting in 2018.

At the end of her post, Butet added, "You have done your best, and you have won that battle. I am grateful that you were accompanied by people who sincerely love you. My deepest sympathy to @mayk_wongkar. Rest in Peace Ria, your spirit will always be with us."

2. Ria Irawan's Medical History

Well, Ria herself has been fighting against cancer and tumors for a long time. In 2014, she was diagnosed with stage 3 C endometrioid cancer. Despite undergoing chemotherapy for 1.5 years, Ria's cancer cells grew again in her diaphragm and spread to her lungs.

Meanwhile, tumors also grew in Ria's head, making it difficult for her to speak and maintain balance. Since September 1, 2019, her condition has weakened and she had to receive intensive care at RSCM. She was allowed to go home after 2 weeks.

(kpl/sry)