The boy, now 13 months, could not eat anything through his mouth previously, but can now take liquid food by himself.
Shao Heng was born with multiple illnesses due to congenital DNA problems, among them heart issues such as an interrupted aortic arch. In layman’s terms, his aorta – the muscle used to pump blood throughout the body – did not develop properly. He also suffers from a ventricular septal defect, or hole in the heart.
When he arrived at the association at Jalan Gasing here, his carers went through his medical records and realised that he also suffers from brain damage. In addition, he had a stomach disorder which prevented him from swallowing food by himself, which meant he could only consume food or milk through a tube.
But after sending him for multiple treatments, his carers say they are pleased with the progress the gutsy baby boy has made so far.
“He needs to go through several heart surgeries to get better or even to survive in the future,” said the association’s vice-chairman, Tan Jin Hao.
“We have given him a lot of treatment, and as time goes by, we can see that his condition is getting better and better.
“We have trained him to eat by himself and now, slowly, he is taking some liquid food. Previously, he could not eat anything through his mouth.”
The next hurdle for Shao Heng is a heart surgery at the National Heart Institute (IJN), but Tan said they were still waiting for approval from Shao Heng’s doctors at Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur.
“We still need to wait until his body weight is sufficient and then we need to get his doctor’s permission, because at this moment, his body condition is not at the level to get this kind of heavy surgery,” explained Tan.
He said Shao Heng was kept isolated in a separate room with another baby to minimise interaction with the 74 mentally challenged individuals, ranging from babies to senior citizens, at the centre.
Like most NGOs across the country, the pandemic has dealt a severe blow to the association whose monthly expenses run up to more than RM100,000.
Tan said the pandemic had been “pretty tough” on the association as the home relied solely on public donations, especially since its usual fund-raising activities such as charity dinners and charity concerts were no longer allowed.
“Everything is done online, which is pretty hard right now because it’s not easy to reach out to as many people as we used to,” he said.
Those who would like to contribute to the association or for Shao Heng’s medical treatment may contact Jesslyn at 016-2166950 or email [email protected].