PETALING JAYA, Feb 22 — Seven-month-old baby Cheah Yu Hang from Kuala Lumpur is in dire need of treatment and medication cost amounting to RM60,500 after being diagnosed with bowel dysmotility.

Non-governmental organisation (NGO) Pertubuhan Persatuan Kebajikan Amal Da Ai wrote in a Facebook post that bowel dysmotility is a rare disease and Cheah was unable to defecate 48 hours after he was born.

Screen capture of baby Cheah’s bowel dysmotility disease that was written by a doctor in a private hospital. — Picture by Pertubuhan Persatuan Kebajikan Amal Da Ai
Screen capture of baby Cheah’s bowel dysmotility disease that was written by a doctor in a private hospital. — Picture by Pertubuhan Persatuan Kebajikan Amal Da Ai

“After being hospitalised, the doctor found that his intestines could not absorb nutrients, and that he suffered from gastrointestinal problems.

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“Therefore, both his defecation and nutrition feeding packs rely on extracorporeal intubation.

“He is also using a faecal bag to help him defecate.”

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A total of RM43,000 has been collected from members of the public through crowdfunding initiative and he needs another RM17,500.

While the baby was delivered at a government hospital in Kuala Lumpur, he was then transferred to a private hospital due to bed shortages in the government hospital as a result of Covid-19.

The baby’s father Cheah Tai Wai is working as a delivery driver while the mother had to resign from her job to take care of the baby full-time in the hospital.

“They are not able to cope with the huge medical and treatment expenses. 

“At present, the baby has undergone multiple abdominal surgeries with Cheah and his wife using up all their savings and had even paid for the surgeries using a credit card.

“However, they still cannot meet the full cost and owe RM10,000 to the hospital.”

Due to hospital medical expenses being expensive, babies can’t stay in the hospital for a long time but need a sterile room and medical equipment in their homes for recuperation.

This is suggested by the doctor according to Cheah’s condition because his illness requires long-term care, and the sterile room must be set up at home to avoid bacterial infection and follow-up treatment at home.

A sterile room would cost about RM20,000 with additional follow up treatments at home.

The NGO is also helping Johor man Woo See Lai, 50, to raise funds to help pay for his chemotherapy fees as he’s been diagnosed with fourth stage nasopharyngeal cancer.

Woo needs a total of RM40,000 to help cover his chemotherapy fees.

A doctor’s record of Woo’s total chemotherapy fees. — Picture by Pertubuhan Persatuan Kebajikan Amal Da Ai
A doctor’s record of Woo’s total chemotherapy fees. — Picture by Pertubuhan Persatuan Kebajikan Amal Da Ai

While he went to the hospital in Kuala Lumpur in November last year for a second opinion, the doctor confirmed that his cancer cells had spread to other parts of the body and that he must undergo radiotherapy and chemotherapy sessions as soon as possible.

“Woo works as a hawker-food chef and is no longer able to work while his three children are still young — aged 10, 15 and 17 who are still schooling.

“His wife, meanwhile, is doing some part time job as she needs to also take care of him.

“While the family tried to borrow money from their relatives and friends to raise the fee for the chemotherapy and radiotherapy session, the amount is still not enough,” read the post.

The NGO’s spokesperson Abby Yan said they hoped that many would be kind enough to donate to baby Cheah and Woo to help them through their difficulties so that they would stand a chance to survive.

Anyone interested to donate to the fundraising initiative can do so at RHB Bank 2140-3500-14-6601 Persatuan Kebajikan Amal Da Ai Malaysia and label 1330 for baby Cheah or 1320 for Woo.

Send the bank slip and the name of the donor to Abby at 011-26113318 for documentation purposes.