SIK: For the past two years, Muhammad Shazuan Md Saad has had to skip the Hari Raya festivities to care for his comatose wife.
"It's been almost two years now, my wife's condition hasn't changed much, she's still unconscious," he said.
The 38-year-old father of three said his wife, Nurul Azhani Abu Hassan @ Hussain, 37, who is also a Quran and Fardhu Ain (Kafa) teacher, can now only open her eyes but remains in a coma after giving birth to their youngest child through surgery on July 6, 2022.
He said their youngest child had to be entrusted to his sister to be cared for to experience a mother's love.
"This Raya, we didn't make any preparations, our Eid clothes are whatever we have. I used the money we have to buy special milk and disposable diapers for my wife, as well as medications.
"It has become my routine to feed my wife milk through a tube every three hours and to clear her phlegm regularly.
"Besides being able to open her eyes, my wife also has finger movements, but there's not been much else improvement," he said.
Shazuan, also known as Wan, said every month he struggles to provide for his wife's needs, especially the special milk which costs between RM45 to RM50 per tin.
This is because he said every month about 30 tins of milk are needed, and that he also needs to save money to rent an ambulance to take his wife to the hospital.
"The Social Security Organisation (Socso) provides 16 tins of milk every month while the rest I buy myself and, on top of that, my wife also needs to be taken to Sik Hospital and Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital (HSAH), Sungai Petani every three months.
"The cost of renting an ambulance to Sik Hospital for a round trip is RM250. While the trip to HSAH is RM500. If the treatment at the hospital is delayed, I have to add RM50 for each additional hour," he said.
Wan who lives in Kampung Teloi Tua and works as a mosque caretaker said he only uses the RM700 allowance as a caretaker to support his family besides the assistance from the Social Welfare Department amounting to RM500 and the Kedah State Zakat Board (LZNK) amounting to RM300.
However, it is still not enough to meet the needs of their whole family.
"For a minimum of one month, I need to have RM2,500 for my wife and children. I can't find another job because I have to take care of my wife. Before my wife gave birth, I supported the family by working as a handyman.
"My children are also growing up, my eldest son Muhammad Syakir Amin is now 13 years old, Nurul Umairah is 11 and Muhammad Zakwan Adha is 20 months old. I have to rely on the generosity of relatives and acquaintances for our survival," he said.
Wan hopes there is still hope for his wife to recover and be reunited with their children who miss her affection dearly.
Previously, it was reported that Shazuan's wife fell into a coma after giving birth to a child via c-section at HSAH. She collapsed and her heart stopped for half an hour before being confirmed comatose by doctors.
Shazuan said he was informed by doctors that the cause of his wife's coma was due to amniotic fluid entering the bloodstream and that such cases are very rare and usually end in death.
For members of the public who wish to help; Shazuan can be contacted at 019-3523308 and contributions can be made to his BSN bank account (no: 0211541000051668).
