KUALA LUMPUR: A couple from Bandar Damai Perdana, Kuala Lumpur are appealing for financial aid to help fund their four-month-old baby's Arterial Switch operation.
Four-month-old Siew Zheng You was diagnosed with Transposition of the Great Arteries (TGA) and Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD) when the toddler was three-month-old.
TGA is a condition where the two main arteries that carry blood from the heart to the main pulmonary artery and aorta have switched positions, while VSD means there is a hole that separates the two lower chambers of the heart.
Father of three Siew Kim Lin, 36, said his wife had a normal pregnancy and they did not suspect anything amiss with their son until one day he kept crying and refused to eat or drink.
"We discovered that his skin and nails turned blue and he had breathing difficulties when he was three-month-old. We were very scared and rushed him to the clinic," he said.
Zheng You's case was then referred to the Kajang Hospital for further consultation.
The doctors at Kajang Hospital then referred his case to the Gleneagles Kuala Lumpur for further treatment.
The parents were told that Zheng You needed RM80,000 to undergo the Arterial Switch operation as soon as possible, otherwise, he cannot live for more than a year.
"When we heard about the diagnosis, we were quite stunned as I only work as a carpenter and my wife was a housewife", he told the New Straits Times today.
Kim Lin said he had no choice but to appeal to the public for financial help.
Those who wish to help can send their cheque made payable to the Media Prima-NSTP Humanitarian Fund at Group Strategic Communications Department, Media Prima Bhd, Level 4, Anjung Riong, Balai Berita, 31 Jalan Riong, 59100 Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, with the patient's name written on the reverse side of the cheque.
The public may also deposit their donations to Maybank's current account 5141 0532 3170 and indicate the patient's name on the Recipients Reference or Other Payment Details fields.
