Metro

Saturday July 4, 2009

Fruit seller burdened by debts after daughter’s kidney transplant

By A. LETCHUMANAN


Nine-year-old Zakiah Said is a bubbly girl after undergoing a kidney transplant at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital in February but she is oblivious to the problems faced by her poor parents.

Her father, fruit seller Said Sabali still owes the hospital RM15,000. He is also indebted to friends from whom he borrowed money to cover other expenses while his youngest daughter was undergoing treatment in the past four years.

New lease of life: Little Zakiah standing still as her mum Chedi lifts her T-shirt to show the surgery marks on her stomach. Looking on is T. Mohan.

“Despite the financial problems, we are relieved that Zakiah is now leading a normal life,” he said at a press conference organised by MIC Youth coordinator T. Mohan recently.

Said, who sells fruits at a stall in Sentul, said the family had to undergo a difficult time since Zakiah was diagnosed with kidney failure in 2004.

“We had to take care of Zakiah as well as attend to the needs of our four other children. My wife, Chedi Montak, and I have to alternate between manning the shop and taking Zakiah to the hospital whenever she fell ill,” he said.

Said said he had approached Mohan, who was then the MIC Youth social and welfare bureau chairman in August 2005 to request his help to raise funds for Zakiah.

They managed to raise RM22,540 which was timely to pay for the dialysis treatment as well as to buy medicine for Zakiah, he said.

Said said with God’s grace, the Kuala Lumpur Hospital managed to secure a kidney which enabled Zakiah to undergo the transplant on Feb 27.

“I must thank MIC Youth and caring Malaysians who had donated when my daughter’s plight was highlighted. I believe it is through their prayers that my daughter has been given a new lease of life,” he said.

Mohan said they were happy that Zakiah was well after the kidney transplant.

He said the MIC Youth would donate RM2,000 to set up a fund to help Said settle the outstanding debts.

Donors can send cheques to Said Sabali c/o MIC Youth, 7th Floor, Menara Manickavasagam, No 1, Jalan Rahmat, 50350 Kuala Lumpur or call Novinthen at 017-349 0404 or 03-4043 1111.

  • E-mail this story
  • Print this story

Source:

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter Star Metro on Facebook Star Metro on Twitter