KUALA LUMPUR: TWO infants at Gleneagles Kuala Lumpur Hospital here are seeking public donations to help them undergo corrective heart surgery.
Eric Cantona Tuyut James Jeli, 4 months, who weighs 3.7 kg, needs corrective surgery to place two major blood vessels to their appropriate pumping chambers and to close a hole in his heart.
The baby had been diagnosed with the transposition of great arteries and a ventricular septal defect when he was 2 months old.
Eric’s mother, Roshainie Limpang, traveled here with the infant from Sibu, Sarawak, in hopes of getting his heart condition corrected.
“I hope we will be able to raise the RM45,000 needed, so that he will receive heart surgery and lead a normal life.
“It pains me to see him going through hardship,” said the housewife.
Roshainie and her husband were unable to pay the amount needed as her husband only earned RM 1,170 a month as a mechanic. They have two older daughters, one of whom has already started school.
The adoptive parents of 2-month-old Muhammad Haris Iman Abdullah are also seeking assistance to cover the cost of their son’s surgery.
“I am only earning RM2,500 as a mechanic and my wife earns about RM500 as a self-employed baker.
“We have an older son who is 9 years old. We are appealing to the public as we really have no other means to finance his operation,” said the infant’s father, Mohd Faizal Hussein.
Haris also suffers from transposition of the great arteries, a ventricular septal defect, a double outlet right ventrical and an interrupted aortic arch.
The infant had been relying on an expensive drug called Prostin to keep his heart pumping.
Experts say surgery for Haris’ condition is complex, with the total cost estimated to be about RM50,000.
Haris’ adoptive mother, Noorzilawati Cheman, said even though the surgery had an 85 per cent success rate, post-operative care for Haris would be challenging because of the complexity of his heart condition.
Donors can send their cheques made payable to The New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd, with the patient’s name written on the reverse side and addressed to: The Cashier, Finance Department/Charity Unit NSTP, The New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd, Balai Berita, 31 Jalan Riong, Bangsar, 59100 Kuala Lumpur.
Parents Noorzilawati Cheman and Mohd Faizal Hussein showing a picture of their son, Muhammad Haris Iman Abdullah, who is in dire need of corrective heart surgery. Pic by Azhar Ramli - credit NEW STRAITS TIMES ONLINE
