Alifa has a congenital heart defect known as transposition of the great arteries, which basically means the two main arteries leaving her heart are reversed. She, therefore, needs to undergo an arterial switch operation, as well as patent ductus arteriosus closure surgery.
The latter is to fix a condition where the ductus arteriosus, an opening that is part of the baby’s bloodflow system in the womb, hasn’t closed after birth.
Without these procedures, Alifa will ultimately not be able to survive as she will experience heart failure.
Alifa is the firstborn child of Arul and Mailah, who are in their late 20s to early 30s. Like most new parents, the couple had been eagerly awaiting their daughter’s arrival.
There had been nothing untoward about Mailah’s pregnancy or labour. It was only a few hours after Alifa was born that the obstetrician realised the baby’s skin had turned blue and suspected she had a heart problem.
The new parents were advised to take Alifa to a specialist hospital for further urgent examination. To compound matters, they were informed that the cost of the procedures would amount to approximately RM100,000.
Arul and Mailah both work as cleaners and are unable to afford the amount. Besides this financial pressure, the ordeal has left them emotionally shattered and struggling to cope.
As such, they have sought assistance from Pusat Kebajikan Amal Da Ai, a non-governmental organisation that aims to help disabled and special-needs individuals, as well as families going through difficult times, through crowdfunding and other means.
Da Ai case worker Yumi Hwang told FMT that as of press time, the organisation has not calculated the amount they have received so far.
“As Alifa waits for surgery in the NICU, we hope everyone can save her life together. We also hope that Alifa can live a healthy and happy life like a normal kid,” Hwang said.
According to her, Arul and Mailah are Indonesians who have lived in Malaysia for several years. While they are based in the Klang Valley, they do not have any relatives in the country who can help them.
“We hope our child can have the surgery, but we have no money. When I see my child’s face, her face looks blue. If she doesn’t have the surgery soon, the doctor says she may die,” Mailah said in a video shared by Da Ai.
“I hope there are people who want to help us, so that our child can have the surgery [and be] as healthy as other babies,” Arul added.
If you wish to donate towards baby Alifa’s surgery, kindly contact Yumi Hwang at 016-964 9766 or email [email protected].