KUALA LUMPUR: The parents of an 18-year old boy suffering from pulmonary regurgitation hope their son can undergo heart surgery and lead a normal life.
Khoo Keng Siong, 52, said his son Khoo Yeak Xuan has a heart condition which resulted in blood leaking from the lungs into the right pumping chamber of his heart.
Yeak Xuan had undergone an operation for a heart defect called the Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) in 2006.
This closes the hole in his heart and relieved the blockage of the blood vessels to the lungs.
He said they were alerted of their son's condition when they went for a check up during the fifth month of his wife's pregnancy.
"We knew about his condition when he was still inside his mother's tummy. My wife was five months pregnant at that time and we had to make a serious decision," he added.
The parents accepted the fact that they need to deal with the baby's future health problems.
Tan Bee Yan, 51, who is a housewife said her son was blessed to have a doctor who was willing to help him.
"Gleneagles Kuala Lumpur pediatric surgeon Dr Lim Miin Kang was the one who advised us to have the surgery when our son was just one-year-old to avoid further complications.
"The surgeon also informed us that our son needed to have another surgery when he is 38, which is 20 years from now," she added.
Tan also expressed her despair over the expense of the surgery.
"I feel sorry for my son. I know that the cost of surgery is high.
"As I was worried about my son's condition, I learned how to drive so that I could send him to school despite having a fear of driving," she said.
Tan also said that her son's dream is to become a doctor so that he can help other people in need.
"At home, he loves to help his younger siblings with schoolwork. He is patient and never gets angry whenever his other siblings ask for help," the mother of four said.
"My son would not bother telling us when he has issues and he would just keep quiet," she added.
Tan said her son is good at playing chess and is an active child but he is aware of his limits when it comes to outdoor activities like sports.
"He would play badminton with his younger siblings at home like any other children but only for about half an hour. He is alert with his condition. If he is tired, he will rest."
According to a report from Gleneagles Hospital, the boy needs to undergo another heart surgery as further delay would be detrimental to the long term quality and duration of his life.
Khoo also said the doctor told him that his son needed to have another operation because the current valve was worn out.
"After the first operation, he was growing well but now he needs a second operation to insert an artificial valve at the position of the outflow to the lungs."
The family needs to raise RM80,000 to avoid his condition from worsening.
Tan hopes the aid would ease her son's life in the near future.
"When he enters university later on, I would not have to worry that much as he would be able to take care of himself," she added.
She also thanked well-wishers for their sincerity in advance.
Those who wish to help can send cheques made payable to the Media Prima-NSTP Humanitarian Fund to the Group Corporate Communications Department, Media Prima Bhd, Level 1, Anjung Riong, Balai Berita, 31 Jalan Riong, 59100 Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, with the patient's name written on the reverse side of the cheque.
Donors may also deposit their donation to Bank Muamalat account number 1401-0008-8427-18 or Maybank account number 5141-0532-3170 and indicate the patient's name in the recipients reference or other payment details fields.
All donations to the Media Prima-NSTP Humanitarian Fund are tax deductible.