MELAKA, June 6 — Ainul Mardhiah Ahmad Safiuddin, the 21-month-old baby who was diagnosed with a rare germ cell tumor last year, continues to show positive physical and health development.

Her father, Ahmad Safiuddin Ahmad Razak, 25 said his daughter needed close supervision since she is now learning new things besides being more active and playful.

“She feeds on milk eight times a day through a tracheostomy tube and each feeding time would normally take up to an hour and within that period close supervision is needed as she tends to pull out the tube.

“Alhamdulillah, generally Ainul Mardhiah is getting better after the surgery to remove the tumor inside her mouth last year,” he told reporters during Chief Minister Datuk Sulaiman Md Ali’s visit to his house at Taman Desa Molek, Ayer Molek here, today.

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On April 23, Bernama reported on Ahmad Safiuddin’s deep gratitude on hearing his first-born’s voice for the first time, after 20-month wait. 

Commenting further Ahmad Safiuddin said Ainul Mardhiah would make noises, trying to sing along to songs on her favourite Islamic animation series, Omar and Hana. 

The grocery store owner said, though his daughter is ventilator-dependent, at times, she would pull out the tube for about 10 minutes, especially when she wanted to play.

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Ahmad Safiuddin said Ainul Mardhiah would still need to undergo follow up treatment at the Melaka Hospital.

Meanwhile, Sulaiman said the state government through the Welfare Department would continue to assist Ainul Mardhiah’s family for her medical needs apart from providing them with the monthly aid of RM350 for Patients with Chronic Illness.

“The state government is aware of the predicaments faced by Ainul Mardhiah and we hope that she will recover and be as healthy as other children. From time to time, we will look into her needs in order to ease the family’s burdens,” he said.

Ainul Mardhiah underwent a successful surgery to have a 200-gram tumour in her mouth removed, at a hospital in London in June last year.

The operation was conducted by a group of surgeons and specialists headed by the hospital’s Craniofacial unit chief, Prof David Dunaway.  Also on the team was a Malaysian doctor, Dr Juling Ong and trainee surgeon, Dr Nur Amalina Che Bakri. — Bernama