KUCHING: Eight-month-old Cyrus Bong Khai Tze, who was suffering from biliary atresia, underwent a successful liver transplant at Renji Hospital in Shanghai and is expected to make a full recovery soon.
According to a press release issued today, Cyrus has already returned to Malaysia following the procedure.
Community Care Enrichment Programme Foundation (CCEP) chief executive officer (CEO) Yee Poo Yoon expressed her gratitude to the public for raising the necessary medical expenses for Cyrus in just two days.
She revealed that Cyrus’s case set two records for the foundation as they managed to raise MYR 220,000 for the surgery in just two days and being the first case arranged by the foundation to undergo a liver transplant at Renji Hospital in Shanghai.
“Cyrus’s biliary atresia was a very serious condition, with only 50 to 60 percent of his liver function left, and the blocked blood vessels were extensive. Local doctors did not have the confidence to handle his situation, so his parents had to seek help from experts in India and China,” she said.
Yee recently visited Cyrus at the hospital and described him as being ‘reborn’ after the surgery.
“Cyrus used to cry a lot because of his physical discomfort, and he was a difficult baby to take care of. Now he is always smiling at us, and compared to his previously sad expression, he has become a healthy and happy little baby.
“Local hospitals do not provide the ‘coordination’ bridge between the two hospitals, so Cyrus’s parents were initially helpless. Besides facing financial difficulties, they had no idea how to arrange for hospitalisation.
“If the parents of other biliary atresia patients need this kind of information, they are welcome to contact me. I can provide them with my information and experience to assist their children in obtaining other treatment options,” she said.
Cyrus’s father, Bong Tong Fook, expressed his gratitude for the generous donations, which provided them with enough money to undergo surgery at Renji Hospital.
He also thanked the foundation for assisting in the coordination between the University of Malaya Medical Centre and Renji Hospital, which allowed the child to undergo surgery in a short period of time.
“I also hope to share my experience with parents who have similar experiences. As parents, we should not be too concerned about face-saving. Fundraising is not a shameful thing. The most important thing is that children can receive appropriate treatment, and a child’s life is more important than anything else.
“The arrangement made by CCEP was very appropriate, which also allowed our family to stay in the same ward. Since I am a donor, it was convenient for my wife to take care of both me and Kaiser.”
Cyrus’s mom holding him up and showing the operating scar that’ll tell stories in the future.
