ON THE MEND: Sisters Rafika, 11, (left) and Uswatun Rasmiddin, nine, have had extensive surgery and treatment for their burns.

JACKLYN WAGNER

WHEN Rafika and Uswatun Rasmiddin were running for their lives from a giant tsunami, they could not possibly know more tragedy was in store for them.

The sisters, from Simuelue Island, in Indonesia's Aceh Province, ran for their lives from an area devastated by the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, only to suffer horrific burns when their safe house in the hills burned down.

“When the tsunami came we needed to run. No one knew the tsunami was coming. People were playing and sitting,” Uswatun, 9, said.

“The big wave came to the road, but the wave can't get to the big hill,” 11-year-old Rafika said.

“We ran really, really fast, and lots of people ran, and lots of people died,” Uswatun said.

With the wall of water looming up before them, the girls and their family, including their mother Ariani, fled to higher ground. “We ran to the hill, and stayed up on the hill in a house for a little while before the earthquake shook the house down,” Uswatun said.

The girls had been asleep when aftershocks struck their tiny island, and said they didn't remember much of the night except their neighbours had to carry them to safety.

“It was midnight, and we didn't have electricity, so we put a lantern there,” Rafika said.

“Then the lantern fell, causing the fire,” Uswatun said. “There was only us and our neighbours on the hill, but they were far away.”

“People saw the smoke and ran to help us. We couldn't walk, so they carried us,” Rafika said.

The house wasn't the only thing they lost. Both girls were left with severe burns, leaving them unable to walk and their fingers fused.

“My hand was like a claw,” Rafika explained, twisting her scarred fingers together.

“Mine was the same, my fingers were bent, but the doctor has made them better now,” Uswatun said.

Rafika and Uswatun were living with their family on 'another hill' when Red Cross worker Mark Scanlan found them. In 2007, Rotary Oceanic Medical Assistance for Children brought Rafika, Uswatun and their mother to Australia for treatment and they are now living in Brisbane.

The family is currently staying in Goonellabah with Bob Barnes, a member of Lismore Rotary, between school terms and hospital treatments.

“Before that they only had basic medical care, and had no surgery for three months,” Mr Barnes said.

“Their daily activities had been affected, and they had trouble eating, speaking and walking, and had no use of their hands.

“Since the treatment here their lives have been turned around.”

While Australia has been a place of hope for them, they have also had to endure 30 operations each and ongoing physiotherapy.

While on holidays in the area, they will speak to Rotary groups and schools about their experience.

With just one more operation to go, the girls feel 'lucky' to have been brought to Australia and are looking forward to returning home to their family in August.