Nora, a homemaker who lives in Cheras, took Nur Zara to a private clinic for an x-ray, but the doctor found no injuries and only prescribed medication to reduce the fever.
“A week later, the fever subsided and she could walk again. But shortly after, the fever returned, and her legs became paralysed once more. The doctor diagnosed tonsillitis and prescribed antibiotics, but the fever didn’t improve,” Nora recalled.
On June 16 last year, she brought her daughter to the Kuala Lumpur General Hospital, where a doctor suspected anaemia as the child’s haemoglobin level was low.
Two days later, Nur Zara complained of spinal pain. “It was so severe that she couldn’t sleep and she was still feverish. Nur Zara was hospitalised for nearly two months,” Nora said.
Tests revealed that Nur Zara, now five years old, had stage-4 neuroblastoma, a form of cancer that starts in the nerve cells. The disease had spread to her spine, causing partial spinal fractures, while an MRI revealed the primary tumour was located in her abdomen, near the adrenal glands.
“On July 26, she underwent surgery to remove the tumour and had a central venous catheter inserted,” Nora shared. “She started chemotherapy on Aug 7.”
In September, Nur Zara began a series of bone-marrow transplants. Next month, she will begin radiotherapy, followed by treatment with Qarziba in February. The immunotherapy drug is used to treat high-risk neuroblastoma in patients aged 12 months and above.
Since the medication is imported, it is very expensive: Nur Zara’s treatment, which requires 10 vials of Qarziba, will cost some RM232,000.
To ease the financial burden on her family, Nora is being helped by the CCEP Foundation, an organisation that assists the poor, needy, deprived and underprivileged. Its CEO, Yvonne Yee, said it is crucial to raise funds for Nur Zara’s medication as soon as possible.
“We hope the public can generously contribute to help her through this difficult time. She is only five years old, and we hope that kind-hearted individuals will give her a chance at a new life,” she told FMT Lifestyle.
Yee added that as of Nov 24, they have collected RM15,000.
In the meantime, Nur Zara is in “relatively stable” condition, according to Nora, “but she needs to wear a body cast for support throughout the day and only removes it during sleep”.
Nur Zara is also unable to attend school as she needs to undergo blood tests in the hospital every two days.
Nora, too, hopes the public will find it in their hearts to contribute towards their cause. “We only have one daughter, and we’re doing our best to treat her,” she said.
To help Nur Zara, donations can be made directly to CCEP Foundation, RHB bank account number 2621 9300 009 342. Please use the reference ‘Nur Zara’.
If you require a receipt, kindly send them a WhatsApp message.
Learn more about CCEP Foundation here, or contact 03-7955 9999 / 010-279 8849.