LONDON: It had been an emotional day for the family of stroke victim, Mohamad Sahar Mhd Noor, 57, yesterday.
As he lay unconscious in his hospital bed in Charing Cross Hospital, almost a month after suffering a stroke on arrival at Heathrow airport, the family juggled to keep their sanity afloat, with the knowledge that the cost of hospital care is adding up by the minute, even as news of generous offers from well wishers continued to pour in.
Yesterday, they were told that Sahar, a chief clerk at Kolej Kemahiran Tinggi Mara in Rembau, can finally return to Malaysia.
The family also learnt that the office of the Menteri Besar of Negeri Sembilan had offered to pay for the cost of the flight and other expenses for medical attendants and facilities.
When contacted, the office confirmed the offer of assistance.
Sahar however, can only be flown home if similar facilities in his ward are available during the flight back. In addition, he must be accompanied by a doctor and at least two specialist nurses and an anaesthetist to deal with any possible emergencies.
“We have made the request through the hospital,” said Sahar’s son Muhammad Fadhli, 30.
He hoped Malaysia Airlines would be able to take Sahar as its passenger and provide the required care.
Fadhli said the family is aware of the risk involved in flying home Sahar in his current condition, and that the hospital would discharge him on Monday.
“We were told that the brain needs four to five weeks to stabilise after the incident. So, it makes sense for my father to allowed to be discharged on Monday,” he said.
The Malaysian community has been quick to rally around, offering support and advice. It is understood that there are also Malaysian doctors and an anaesthetists in London who have volunteered to accompany Sahar home.
At the hospital, Sahar who was still unconscious, had been receiving a steady stream of visitors.
His daughter Amirah , 30, a postgraduate research student at Brunel University, said the family was thankful for the help from people around the world, who had raised more than £50,000 via GoFundMe to help bring Sahar home.
Another daughter, Atikah, 27, who graduated with a Masters degree also from Brunel University recently, has been spending time with her father, talking about the graduation ceremony that he had missed and showing him photographs to get him to open his eyes.
In Kuala Pilah, Sahar’s sister-in-law Hayati Kidam, 46, hoped to have Sahar back home soon.