This is the grappling life story of Shafiq, a 12 years old boy from
Sandakan suffering from chronic renal failure.
Six years ago, Shafiq was diagnosed with chronic kidney failure – a
condition manifested by incessant fatigue and nausea, swelling from fluid build-up
under the skin and congestion in the lungs, and high blood pressure. In their
desperate bid to save their child, Shafiq’s parents admitted him at the Duchess
of Kent Hospital in Sandakan where he received intensive care and treatment by a
nephrologist.
Since then, they have to make frequent hospital trips and this took its toll on the family. A single taxi trip to hospital costs RM25 and the family was on the verge of despair from the financial burden and emotional trauma of having to watch their beloved family member wasting away day by day.
Shafiq’s condition turned for the worse. He now suffers from full-blown
kidney failure and requires dialysis treatment 4 times a week just to survive. He became increasingly frail and his physique is that of an eight-year-old
child. Although he is in high spirits and demonstrates the exuberance of any
child, the reality remains bleak for him. Shafiq suffers from learning
disability and could not keep up with the demanding school life.
The hefty transportation cost to the hospital is also eating away
whatever meagre savings that his father managed to scrimp. In early 2018, they
started missing out on Shafiq’s dialysis appointment simply because they couldn’t
afford to take the daily trip to the hospital. Friends and family members were
able to help in the beginning but it also became increasingly difficult for
them to continue supporting him.
SAGA learnt about Shafiq’s plight and enrolled him under the SAGA Health
Access Programme (SHAPE) where they provide him with a small allowance to
subsidise his transport cost to town. This comes up to approximately RM 400 per
month – a small amount – but it was a lifeline for Shafiq.
You can make a difference in the lives of underprivileged patients like Shafiq by make a donation to SHAPE. Please donate to us, so that we can help more.
To ensure transparency in the transfer of funds to SAGA, we work closely in partnership with the Social Work Department at the Duchess of Kent Sandakan in evaluating the eligibility of applicants, which is in line with the family income guidelines under the Poverty Line Income (PGK).
Our partners includes;
MYR 10 05/23/2019 12:14:52 AM UTC
MYR 100 01/04/2019 12:06:20 AM UTC
Keep up the good work Dr Zaiton and team!
MYR 75 01/03/2019 05:22:14 PM UTC
MYR 75 01/03/2019 05:02:00 PM UTC
MYR 30 01/03/2019 03:56:04 PM UTC
MYR 10 01/03/2019 03:48:20 PM UTC
MYR 75 12/06/2018 05:48:05 AM UTC
MYR 75 08/19/2018 12:45:35 PM UTC
MYR 10 07/19/2018 07:59:20 AM UTC
May God bless for those unfortunate.
MYR 50 06/11/2018 01:59:00 PM UTC
MYR 10 06/11/2018 12:15:03 PM UTC
MYR 50 06/09/2018 09:03:31 PM UTC
MYR 150 06/09/2018 08:39:26 AM UTC
MYR 300 06/09/2018 08:04:57 AM UTC
MYR 300 06/09/2018 07:39:50 AM UTC
