KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Finance Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong together with One Hope Charity and Welfare raised RM9 million in monetary aid for an infant suffering from spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) to receive a life-saving vaccination.
The campaign to raise money for 17-month old Reese Tan Rui Xin took about a week to reach the targeted amount.
"Datuk Chua Sui Hau, who is a friend from One Hope Charity and Welfare Bukit Mertajam, reached out to me to help save baby Reese," said the Bukit Mertajam MP.
"I promised him I would donate RM50,000 and encourage my friends and others to help.
In a Facebook post yesterday, Steven said that he had visited the infant with Datuk Chua after the provisional budget was passed in the Dewan Negara.
He hopes that this matter would be an important issue for Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa to create a better awareness, treatment and support system for SMA patients in the future.
On Dec 13, parents Rachel Chung, 38, and Jason Tan, 47, appealed to the welfare organisation for help in raising RM9 million after gaining treatment advice from their child's doctor to treat Reese with the Zolgensma vaccination, which would cure the severe and unusual illness.
The mother of two said Reese was unable to crawl, stand or walk, and could only lie down.
The infant reportedly struggles with breathing and relies on respiratory assistance to chew food, which puts her life at high risk.