KUALA TERENGGANU: Despite being 21 years old, Muhammad Hafizuddin Ismail's physical size and body weight resemble that of a child.
In fact, his body is small and extremely emaciated, weighing only 10 kilograms (kg) said Ismail Wahad, 63, the father of Muhammad Hafizuddin Ismail, who is afflicted with a nerve disease.
Ismail further revealed that his youngest son's suffering began five years ago. The retired Kuala Terengganu City Council (MBKT) officer shared that initially, his son was said to have fallen down the stairs at school when he was 12 years old.
"I thought the incident was just a normal fall. However, when he turned 16, he began experiencing high fever, followed by a loss of balance and an abnormal gait after five months. Due to these problems, Hafizuddin was unable to sit for the Malaysian Certificate of Education (SPM) examinations," Ismail said.
"The decline in his health worsened after his mother, Khatijah Muhammad, in her 50s, passed away four years ago due to breast cancer. Prior to that, it was my late wife who took care of him. Since her passing, his health deteriorated further, to the point where his bones became fragile, and he suffered multiple fractures in his hands and a quadruple fracture in his left leg," he added, speaking at his residence in Kampung Lorong Haji Da, Batu Buruk.
Ismail explained that after his wife's death, he took on the full responsibility of caring for and managing his son's condition. Currently, he relies solely on his monthly pension of RM800 and a RM300 assistance from the Department of Social Welfare (JKM).
"I am unable to pay the electricity bill, and it has been disconnected by the authorities for the past year. Moreover, most of my pension is used to repay bank loans taken out to open a food stall immediately after retiring four years ago. However, due to the losses incurred from the Covid-19 pandemic, the food stall had to be closed, resulting in a loss of income," he said.
