SERI KEMBANGAN: To celebrate its 15th anniversary today, the Tunku Azizah Fertility Foundation (TAFF) held a special family day – an event which was graced by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.
The King, who arrived at the venue at 11am, was accompanied by Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, who is also TAFF’s founder and president.
Also in attendance was the royal couple’s youngest daughter, Tengku Puteri Jihan Azizah ‘Athiyatullah, Bernama reported.
The ceremony saw Al-Sultan Abdullah presenting in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment sponsorship offer letters to 60 couples in conjunction with his recent birthday; as well as Tunku Azizah delivering a speech on the hardships she faced in trying for a baby.
“Today, I want to express my gratitude to the King, for standing close to me when we were trying to have a baby. In the span of nine-and-a-half years, I went through 16 treatments in Singapore, England and the United States of America, and he was always with me.
“Only mothers with the same predicament will know what we went through, the longing for a baby. Other women are lucky to have children naturally, but we are tested this way, (so) we never give up, and TAFF was formed to help (such) mothers, financially and by way of continuous support,” she said in her speech.
Tunku Azizah later presented TAFF pendants to two sets of twins conceived with the help of the foundation.
Since its inception in Aug 2004, TAFF has successfully funded IVF treatments for 94 couples who gave birth to 116 babies.