Lo Ai Choo
Twenty three years ago in Kuching, a baby girl was born in this beautiful city. The baby was pale and frail, obviously not in the best of health. After consulting with a few doctors, it was confirmed that the baby was a Thalassaemia Major. That baby was me, Ai Choo.
Twenty years ago hardly anybody in Kuching or Sarawak knew what was ‘Thalassaemia”. My parents were confused when the doctor told them. All they knew was that I needed blood transfusion once a month.
One day, Ms Catherine Sia, one of the parents of a thalassaemia child, a very kind hearted and sincere woman, did a lot of research and found out that thalassaemia major patients not only needed monthly blood transfusion but also daily injection of a drug called desferal. This is to remove the build up of iron in the blood due regular transfusions. The problem is that desferal is very expensive. To most of the patients the medicine cost a fortune. So in the early years many thalassaemia major children died, simply because the parents could not afford the desferal treatment.
Ms Catherine Sia with the thalassaemia families decided to form the Sarawak Thalassaemia Society in 1994. The Sarawak Thalassaemia Society was formed with the doctors, nurses, the parents and the supportive friends.
Although my parents income was comfortable for the whole family, but we could hardly afford the expensive medicine. My sister, who was also a thalassaemia major, passed away when she was only fifteen years old. My parents love us, they could not face of losing another child again. So, no matter how difficult the life is. They work really hard to buy the desferal for my treatment.
I started the daily desferal injection at the age of twelve. Luckily the Society is able to raise enough funds to help all the patients, including me. It has reduced the burden of my parents tremendously.
And now the Society with the generous support of the people of Sarawak is able to subsidize up to 90% of the cost of desferal and blood filters.
You have given us a chance for life and a life of hope.
I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.
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