MELAKA: The man who adopted a girl who has Down Syndrome has thanked the kind-hearted individuals who helped to pay for her treatment at Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL).
Teo Hock Teng, 58, described the donations totalling RM32,000 as a "selfless gift of life".
"I am forever grateful. Thank you brother and sisters," he said after a brief cheque presentation ceremony at Taman Melaka Raya here on Wed (Aug 8).
The cheque was presented by Tanjung Bidara Lions Club's chairman Patric Chang and witnessed by the club's District 308 B1 governor, Alex Thiam Poh Ooi.
Teo's plight was highlighted in The Star on July 19 and the funds were raised within a week.
Teo said he adopted the girl after her smile melted his heart when he visited her at Hospital Melaka 16 years ago.
The girl, now a teenager, has been diagnosed with thoracic scoliosis – a sideways curvature of the thoracic (middle) region of the spine – and he is finding it difficult to cope.
The girl was born out of wedlock to his neighbour in Bandar Hilir here and the father abandoned both mother and child.
Teo, who is an odd-job worker, said his daughter was recently diagnosed with the ailment and Hospital Melaka had referred his daughter to an orthopaedic specialist at HKL.
Teo faced financial constraints to pay for his frequent trips to HKL and to buy nutritional food for his daughter.
