“I have a friend with a heart attack who died before getting surgery, but I still want to live and continue working to support myself. Please help me.”

61-year-old Cheng Boon Hooi had undergone two surgeries many years ago due to cardiovascular blockage. Since then, he has started eating lightly to care for his health. Three years ago, he began to experience unbearable tingling pains in his heart, shortness of breath and dizziness. Unfortunately, it happened during the outbreak of Covid-19 and the implementation of the Movement Control Order, and he couldn’t get a date from the hospital for examination and surgery. Therefore, he paid himself for a test at a specialist hospital, and the doctor confirmed that two of his cardiovascular were blocked.

The doctor suggested he undergo a coronary angiogram and stenting as soon as possible, but the surgery cost RM20,000. He was a fisherman but could not go fishing since three years ago. He turned to work as a helper at a kuih stall in a market. He can only earn a meagre income to meet living expenses and cannot afford the substantial surgical expenditures.

【The fisherman suffered from frequent heart-tingling pains three years ago. He could not lift heavy objects and go fishing in the sea, so he became a helper at a kuih stall in the market. The hospital could not schedule him for an examination, and his pain was unbearable, so he approached One Hope Charity to seek help for his surgical expenses】

Boon Hooi lives in Nibong Tebal, Penang. He underwent heart surgery due to blockage of four cardiovascular more than a decade ago. At that time, the doctor connected the vein in his leg to the heart. His relatives and friends chipped in to help pay part of his surgical expenses, and he settled the remaining to the hospital through an instalment. About six months later, he went underwent his second heart surgery.

After recovering from the surgeries, Boon Hooi continued to work as a fisherman. He also started to be health conscious by eating light and living a healthy lifestyle.

Three years ago, during the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, he experienced tingling pains in his heart, accompanied by shortness of breath and dizziness. He went to a government hospital for treatment, and the doctor only prescribed some medicines. The hospital also tried to schedule a date for his further examination. However, his heart tingling has become more frequent in the past three months, so he relied on sublingual medicine to relieve the pain. As the sublingual medication is limited to three pills a day, he takes only half a tablet when the attack occurs and continues with another half if the pain continues.

He doesn’t want to sit and wait for his time. He also doesn’t want to leave the world without getting any treatment. Hence, he approached One Hope Charity for help.

Boon Hooi divorced his wife many years ago, and his three children are independent, but they rarely keep in touch with him as all the children have their family burdens. After he could not go fishing, he took up a light job helping at a kuih stall in the market. He works from 5 am to 10 am and earns RM35 a day. However, he does not get to work every day and most likely will only get a job request on weekends and during festive seasons.

After reviewing the case following a home visit, One Hope Charity decided to assist him in raising the surgical expenses. He agreed to fully authorise One Hope Charity to take charge of the fundraising and collect donations from the well-wishers on his behalf. Call 04-539 9212, 016-419 2192, 019-232 2192 or 018-911 4192 if you have questions.