KUALA LUMPUR: Life has not been easy for 18-year-old Megat Khairul Razin Khairul Annuar and his family.
When he was between three days and six months, he underwent four operations for viscupid atresia, which is considerably rare as it only in one out of 1,000 hearts cases.
Things were smooth-sailing afterwards until Megat Khairul Razin turned 16 when he began experiencing lethargy, shortness of breath and a few other complications that deterred his active lifestyle.
Upon medical screening, the doctors diagnosed him with tricuspid atresia, restrictive ventricular septal defect, and a transposition of the great arteries.
"Now, I need to undergo surgery called BT Shunt to be able to continue living a normal life like the one I enjoyed before," said Megat Khairul Razin from Sungai Merab in Kajang.
His father, a former construction site lorry attendant Khairul Annuar Ahmad Bustaman, 43, is the sole breadwinner who single-handedly takes care of his sick eldest son, along with six other children aged between 16 and nine.
Khairul Annuar is now doing odd-jobs to pay for Megat Khairul's medical bills and bring food to the table after he was retrenched when the first Movement Control Order was enforced in March.
"I just don't have the funds for the operation which will cost RM30,000 (for the BT Shunt operation) when I've got seven mouths to feed and don't have a stable income.
"I used to operate a car wash until three years ago and Megat Khairul used to help me every day after school. Over the last two years, I've spent more than RM15,000 for his medication, treatment and check-ups."
Both father and son are pleading to Malaysians to help fund for the next operation.
"I sincerely hope that my fellow Malaysians will be able to help us so that my son can undergo the operation and God willing, make a full recovery and get on with leading a full, normal life once again.
"I would like to take this opportunity to thank Gleneagles Hospital Kuala Lumpur for agreeing to perform the operation and the Media Prima-NSTP Humanitarian Fund for helping us to raise the necessary funds," said Khairul Annuar.
Megat Khairul also shared his ambition to become a mechanic.
All cheques shall be made payable to MEDIA PRIMA-NSTP HUMANITARIAN FUND with Megat Khairul Razin's name written on the reverse side of the cheque.
The cheque can be addressed to Group Corporate Communications Department, Media Prima Berhad, Level 4, Anjung Riong, Balai Berita, 31, Jalan Riong, 59100 Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.
A donation deposit can be banked into Maybank current account number 5141-0532-3170, indicating Megat Khairul Razin's name on the recipient's reference or other payment details field.
