The Johor-born came to the Klang Valley for a day trip with her family on Dec 29, 2020. It was a visit that would end up changing her whole life.
Walking the streets of Section 14 in Petaling Jaya, she came across a food truck and decided to grab something to eat. But while waiting for her order, an explosion caused by a suspected gas leak in the food truck resulted in six people being injured, including Niveetha and her mother, Thamilarasi Ramakrishna.
Thamilarasi did not suffer serious injuries, but Nivheetha was left with third-degree burns to her face, hands and feet.
“We consulted many doctors and finally found one in India who is able to help Niveetha and hopefully get her skin back to what it used to be,” Thamilarasi, 46, told FMT.
However, being a single mother with two other children, she is unable to pay for the treatment her daughter requires, including reconstructive surgery.
The incident, which was not widely covered by the media, has not only taken a toll on her daughter but on her as well. “Seeing her in so much pain is very difficult but I know I have to be strong for her,” Thamilarasi said.
Speaking with FMT recently, Niveetha shared that the burns on her hands and feet have made it difficult for her to write or walk for too long.
“I also have to avoid the sun as the injuries removed layers of my skin and going in the sun would burn my face,” she said.
Every two weeks she has to go to a hospital in Kuala Lumpur to receive 16 injections in each hand. And because the scarring is big and thick, it is “extremely painful”, Niveetha added.
Thamilarasi said hearing her scream in pain brings tears to her eyes, and she hopes to be able to bring some relief to her daughter’s suffering.
Growing up, Niveetha dreamed of becoming a model and even took part in a number of photoshoots.
But, according to her mother, the incident has now led to her shying away from people, including covering her hands with gloves whenever she goes out to avoid being stared at. “It changed her. She used to be so happy and full of joy.”
Recently, Thamilarasi reached out to the public for help with the cost of her daughter’s surgery in India, which will set them back some RM250,000. “Thankfully a kind soul has offered to pay for the surgery,” she revealed.
However, the procedure has to be done in three stages, which will require the two of them to stay in India for several months.
Thamilarasi, who has a small business, does not have the funds to support them while they are there, having spent her savings on helping Niveetha over the past year and a half. Her benefactor’s support only extends to the cost of the surgeries.
Mother and daughter are scheduled to leave for India by month end and are again asking the public for help, so Niveetha can have a better quality of life and will be able to sit for her SPM examination next year.
Their goal is to raise RM100,000, which will go towards the care and medication Niveetha will need after surgery, as well as their accommodation, transportation, food, and other expenses in India.
Niveetha is saddened to have had her dream of being a model taken away from her at such a young age. “But I hope the surgeries will work, and my skin will go back to how it was so that I can still become a model one day,” she added.
Those who wish to help Niveetha can send a WhatsApp message to FMT’s Helpline at 019-3899839. Please do not call.