Baby with holes in heart needs RM120,000 for immediate surgery

These are the words of a grieving Norlida Othman, 35, an administrative assistant, over the plight of her 14-month-old son, Qarl Muhammad Ziqri Abdul Hafiz, who was diagnosed with holes in the heart when was 42 days old.

She said when Qarl was born, his lips and nails were bluish in colour, but she and her husband, Abdul Hafiz Mohd Asri, 24, did not suspect anything until they brought Qarl to a clinic for a bad cough.

"The doctor at the clinic told us that it might due to heart problems. Qarl was then referred to Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan where he was warded at the intensive care unit for two weeks before he was transferred to the National Heart Institute in Kuala Lumpur," she said when met at her house in Indera Mahkota 1 here Monday.

She said her son had undergone a surgery to insert a stent in October last year and a heart catheterisation surgery to fix his blocked artery earlier this month.

Right now, Norlida said her son had been put on standby to undergo a major surgery to close the two holes in his heart.

"The cost of the surgery is expected to reach RM120,000, but we only have RM2,000 in our savings as most of it had been used spent to pay for the first surgery, which cost RM40,000, and the second surgery, RM30,000.

"Now, we are hoping for public donation as the major surgery cannot be postponed any longer," she said.