Dr Chen (left) with Enthaniel and his parents during a recent meeting.
SIBU: Sibu Cancer Care Society is on a mission to raise RM500,000 by this month to enable two-year-old Ethaniel Lee Yi Heng to undergo a bone marrow transplant scheduled on Nov 6.
Its chairman Dr Clement Chen said they need to raise the amount by the end of this month, after having already received RM150,000 from Sarawak Children’s Cancer Society (SCCS).
“The treatment and bone marrow transplant will cost about RM650,000. SCCS donated RM150,000 to the family already, and our society has decided to raise another RM500,000 to help this family,” he told a press conference yesterday.
Dr Chen revealed that Ethaniel was diagnosed with leukaemia about a year ago and had undergone chemotherapy for eight months in Kuching.
The child returned to Sibu in January this year after the treatment and went for regular check-ups with Sibu Specialist Medical Centre consultant paediatrician Dr Lai Boon Foo.
However, in August, Ethaniel suffered a relapse and the only solution was a bone marrow transplant.
Enthaniel is scheduled to undergo bone marrow transplant on Nov 6.
“So the family had to find a donor. They went to University Malaya Medical Centre but unfortunately, the medical centre will only do the transplant using the parents’ bone marrow, not outsiders.
“However, the parents’ bone marrow is not a 100 per cent match, so the chance of rejection is high. The parents felt that they need to find a bone marrow that is 100 per cent matching, but they could not find a match in Malaysia,” he said.
Dr Chen said they next sought help from Professor Emeritus Dr Lin Hai Peng, a consultant paediatrician and paediatric haematologist-oncologist at Subang Jaya Medical Centre.
He said Dr Lin found a donor from Taiwan whose bone marrow is a 100 per cent match.
“One-hundred per cent match does not mean the transplant will be 100 per cent successful. It only means Ethaniel’s body has a higher chance of accepting that bone marrow,” he explained.
It was at this moment that the doctor found out that Ethaniel has Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukaemia (JMML) – an aggressive and rare form of childhood leukemia.
He said since the recurrence of the cancer, the child had undergone three operations – bone marrow aspiration, implanting chemo port and recently, removal of the spleen.
He said Ethaniel is currently undergoing chemotherapy at Subang Jaya Medical Centre and that the boy’s father, Lee Soon Luen, 29, had quit his job to take care of him.
The boy’s mother, Ting Mei Wen, 31 is now the sole breadwinner of the family, earning about RM2,500 every month as an administration clerk.
“She really cannot afford the bill. The RM150,000 that SCCS gave them, I think they have already used up about RM100,000 for the current treatment.
“The treatment is still ongoing. I think by end of October, there is not much (money) left, so we must aim for half-a-million by end of October for the transplant and further treatment,” he said, while calling on the public to donate to Sibu Cancer Care Society to help the family.
Dr Lai, who was also present at the press conference, said JMML is a rare type of cancer of the white blood cell which differs from one child to another.
For Enthaniel case, he said the only treatment is through bone marrow transplant which, although not 100 per cent certain to cure, will at least give the child a chance.
“Without transplant, he has no chance,” he added.
Sibu Cancer Care Society volunteer Lau Ing Kong and SCCS committee member Pau Kiew Chuang were also present at the press conference.
Those interested to help can channel donations to the Society’s Public Bank account (number 3182572722).
For more information, contact their office on 084-332577, hotline (011-53382577), Dr Chen (019-8896699) or Lau (013-8396991).
(From left) Lau, Ting, Dr Chen, Dr Lai, and Pau at the press conference.