KUALA LUMPUR: The parents of eight-month old toddler Muhammad Hadif Nufail Herman are appealing for donations to enable their son to undergo surgery for a heart condition.
The toddler was born with atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD) and he has yet to see the outside world, having spent all of his time warded and seeking treatment at hospitals.
His mother, Nurulella Sayuti, 35, said the complication was unknown to them until about a month after Hadif was born in May last year at the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital in Klang.
"About a month later and after a CT scan, the doctor diagnosed him with AVSD," she said in a online conference call today.
The boy has a hole in his heart extending from the upper chamber to the lower pumping chambers, she said.
Hadif is also on ventilator support and currently receiving treatment at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
Father, Herman Ishak, 37, is a technician and sole breadwinner of the family. Nurulella has to quit her job since the boy was diagnosed with the illness.
"He underwent an operation at Serdang Hospital and doctors said he required another operation for his AVSD.
"Since we had to wait in a queue, we were referred to Gleneagles Kuala Lumpur," she said.
She said her five-year-old daughter has yet to be able to play with her brother since he was born.
"I would like to extend my gratitude to those who have donated for my son's operation.
"We hope he can recover and finally be able to play with his sister," she said adding that the estimated cost for the operation at Gleneagles Kuala Lumpur is RM80,000.
Those who wish to donate can send cheques made payable to the Media Prima-New Straits Times Press (NSTP) Humanitarian Fund with the patient's name written on the reverse side of the cheque and addressed to Group Corporate Communications Department, Media Prima Berhad, Level 4, Anjung Riong, Balai Berita, 31 Jalan Riong, 59100 Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.
The public may also send their donations to Maybank account number 5141-0532-3170.