Their three-month-old baby, Faiq Abdul Azim, suffers from a congenital heart defect and is in urgent need of life-saving surgery that will cost RM100,000.

Abdul Azim, 28, works as a customer service representative, while Tengku Namira, 27 is an accountant secretary. Their combined incomes are not enough to pay for the procedure.

As such, they have turned to Persatuan Kebajikan Amal Da Ai for help to raise the funds required. Da Ai is a non-profit established in 2017 that helps disabled and special-needs individuals, as well as families that are going through tough times.

Case worker Jessica Tan told FMT that Faiq has a 7mm hole in his heart – known as an aorta pulmonary window type 1 – that needs to be repaired.

“If surgery is not done, baby Faiq is at risk of heart failure owing to problems with his blood vessels leading to increased pressure on his lungs,” she said.

According to a post on social media, Faiq’s parents had rushed him to a hospital in Kuala Lumpur when they noticed he had difficulty breathing.

“The doctor sent him straightaway to the ICU, and we learnt our son had respiratory syncytial virus, which causes infection in the lungs and respiratory tract,” they said in a Facebook video.

With this diagnosis came the discovery that Faiq also has congenital heart disease. He is currently on a ventilator while awaiting surgery, which needs to be carried out as soon as possible.

If not, “his condition will worsen, his heart will become more swollen and it will further affect his breathing”, his parents added.

Da Ai has thus far collected just over RM30,000 since posting about Faiq’s case on Jan 8. The NGO hopes to raise more to cover the full amount, and is appealing to the public for help.

To contribute towards baby Faiq’s surgery, contact Jessica Tan at 016-923 8005 or email [email protected].

Keep updated on his condition via Da Ai’s Facebook profile.