"We want to celebrate Aidilfitri with Arshad..."

"Arshad's liver is not able to receive anesthetic... its effect may cause high-risk complications to his liver." That was doctors' advice to Antashah Mohd Nor and his wife about the current situation of their 15-month-old son, Arshad Imanshah, who had been suffering from biliary atresia (a liver disease) since birth. "There's pus accumulated in his spinal cord. Doctors said it’s a sign that Arshad’s condition is getting worse. We have to think twice before deciding on a liver transplant," Antashah told Astro AWANI when asked about his son's condition.

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Arshad's spine is seen protruding due to accumulated pus

Arshad's much-needed transplant would cost half a million ringgit and is slated to be done at the University Hospital of Singapore (HUS). Although aware that the surgery is costly, Antashah continues to strive to find funds and even offered to give half of his liver to his second child so he could grow up healthy like other children.

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Only a RM500,000 liver transplant could save Arshad's life right now

All Antashah, a senior lecturer in the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies at the MARA University of Technology (UiTM) in Shah Alam, can do right now is to pray, hope and search for funds for the surgery before it's too late. According to him, the RM500,000 is just the cost of surgery alone and did not include pre- and post-surgery treatments. Antashah had, before this, created a Facebook page "Donate and Save Arshad Imanshah" in hope to raise funds for his son's liver transplant. The page is also shared with the public on Instagram and Twitter.

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The "Donate and Save Arshad Imanshah" Facebook page

"Prior to the transplant, Arshad has to undergo a minor surgery to remove the accumulated pus, but the risk is very high. "Doctors are worried because there's only 20 percent of his liver left... he might not be able to withstand the anesthetic required for the surgery," Antashah said. However, he said doctors did not object if the family wanted to proceed with the surgery. "Doctors said if we want to proceed, they need to make an incision in the centre of Arshad’s spine to take samples of the pus or blood clots around the spine." The samples will then be analysed at the laboratory to determine the most suitable antibiotics to treat Arshad's condition.

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"The doctors aren't worried about the surgery but the anesthetic. They're worried that Arshad won't be able to take it. "We need time to decide whether to undergo the surgery or not," said Antashah. With no surgery, Arshad would only be bedridden at home and relying on antibiotics which they don't even know is suitable for his condition or not. "If Arshad’s condition (from the pus) is not treated, there's no chance for him to undergo the liver transplant. This is because he can't have fever or any infection before going through the transplant," said Antashah.

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In a wistful tone, Antashah said doctors were unable to guarantee anything during the surgery. "Making this choice is the most difficult decision of our lives. Do we continue with the operation? Or do we surrender and spend the rest of Arshad's final days together?" Regardless, Antashah noted that the most important thing for him and his wife to do right now is to spend time as much time as they can with their baby boy. "So, we decided to bring Arshad home in time to celebrate Aidilfitri together..." said Antashah before ending the conversation.