“I had dizziness and shortness of breath. After examination, the doctor told me that four blood vessels in my heart were blocked. If I choose to ignore it, I might die suddenly at any time. I am terrified. I hope that everyone can help me get through this hardship.”

Cheong Kok Wah from Batu Maung, Penang, suffered from shortness of breath and coughing, cold sweats and weight loss some two months ago. He went to the hospital for a medical examination, and the doctor confirmed that two of the four blood vessels in his heart were 99 per cent blocked. The other two were blocked by 90% and 50%, respectively. In addition, his heart had blood stasis, so his heart function was 22%.

At first, the doctor told him that the risk of surgery was extremely high and prescribed him some medications to relieve his condition. Unexpectedly, Kok Wah experienced shortness of breath and dizziness shortly after he was discharged from the hospital. The doctor informed him to undergo surgery soon, or he would die suddenly at any time. However, the surgical fee is RM85,000, and his children can only afford RM25,000. Therefore, he needs help from the public for the shortfall of RM60,000 in surgical expenses.

【The patient initially lived on the fifth floor of a flat. However, he couldn’t return home as he could not climb stairs due to shortness of breath. He had to move to his sister’s house and hoped to return home after the surgery】

About two to three months ago, Kok Wah started unstoppable coughing when he lay down at night. He often had to sit to catch his breath. He was also breathless while walking and experienced weight loss. After ECHO and MRI examinations, the doctor confirmed blockages in the four blood vessels in his heart. As he is old and had blood stasis in the heart, the doctor did not recommend him for surgery and prescribed some medications for three months to him. The doctor also gave him an appointment date for a follow-up visit.

He stayed in the hospital for ten days and was discharged after that. However, he had blood stasis in his heart and could not undergo surgery. Therefore, he needed to take medication and continuous observations.

Unexpectedly, two days after he was discharged from the hospital, he was rushed to the hospital for the second time due to shortness of breath and dizziness. The doctor could not do anything as the risk was too high. The doctor also referred him to a specialist hospital. The doctor at the specialist hospital said he needed urgent coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. Otherwise, he might die suddenly at any time. However, the surgical fee was expected to be RM85,000, and his children could only afford RM25,000. Hence, they sought help for the remaining RM60,000.

Kok Wah was a buyer in a factory when he was young. After that, he worked in a hardware shop. He did not smoke or drink, had a healthy lifestyle, and was a family man. He and his 68-year-old wife, Lim Guat Ling, have two children. Their 38-year-old eldest son is a human resources executive with a salary of RM5,700. He needs to pay his parents’ living expenses. Their 33-year-old daughter is married but does not have a child. She is a housewife and cares for her parents.

After reviewing the case following a home visit, One Hope Charity decided to assist the patient in raising the RM60,000 he needed for his surgical expenses. His family agreed to fully authorise One Hope Charity to take charge of the fundraising and collect donations from the well-wishers on their behalf. If you have questions, call One Hope Charity’s hotline at 04-539 9212, 016-419 2192, 019-232 2192, or 018-911 4192.