Nur Aisha is expected to undergo open heart surgery at IJN soon, thanks to the successful fund-raiser.
KUCHING: The Malaysia Shan Xin Charity and Welfare Organisation has successfully raised over RM190,000 for the family of Nur Aisha Umairah Mohamud Adha, who is in dire need of open heart surgery.
The plight of this family, whose baby was born with a serious congenital heart disease, was brought to light last weekend.
Nur Aisha, who is coming to three weeks old, was born with persistent turncus arteriosus – a rare heart defect where only a single large blood vessel leads out of the heart, instead of two.
The baby is in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) as she requires artificial breathing assistance. It is learnt that the lesion is causing severe heart failure.
She needs open heart surgery as soon as possible to prevent any further complication.
Due to the complexity of her condition, the surgery can only be done at the National Heart Institute (IJN) but the waiting time there could be about one month, if the baby is listed under government-subsidised patient category, which could adversely affect the outcome.
Now that the organisation’s fund-raiser is a success, the paediatric cardiologist concerned is working on papers to list Nur Aisha under the private-paying patient category.
The surgery cost is estimated at about RM100,000.
It is learnt that the paediatric cardiologist concerned is arranging to fly Nur Aisha to IJN, Kuala Lumpur tomorrow (Jan 23) where she will undergo the surgery a day or two later.
The mother, Rosma Mohd Hamzah, will be flown to Kuala Lumpur together with her baby.
The infant’s father Mohamud Adha Seruji, 32, is a fisherman who earns about RM800 a month while Rosma, 25, is a housewife.
Nur Aisha has two other siblings, aged seven and four.
The organisation extended appreciation to people from all walks of life who contributed to the good cause, and has called a halt to the fund-raiser.
The parents of Nur Aisha previously agreed that the remaining amount from the fund-raiser will be channelled by the organisation to other needy patients in the country.