The 63-year-old father has been diagnosed with the rare condition Multiple Myeloma, and his only daughter has depleted her savings in treating him, hoping that the public will lend a hand to save her father from paralysis.

Loh Cho, aged 63, from Kuala Lumpur, experiences excruciating pain in his back, shoulders, legs, and lumbar vertebrae, along with deteriorating kidney function. The invasion of cancer cells has made it difficult for him to maintain balance, and he struggles to stand for long periods or walk normally. If the lumbar vertebrae continue to weaken and cannot support his body, he may become paralyzed. To fight the cancer, he urgently needs chemotherapy, but the full cost is too high, and neither he nor his family can afford it.

【Originally thought to be a loss of appetite due to the hot weather, the discovery of body aches and a significant weight loss led to a series of examinations, revealing the underlying cause of the illness】

On a day in July 2022, 63-year-old Loh Cho told his daughter, Loh Yi Yen (37 years old), that his appetite seemed to be diminishing. Loh Yi Yen suspected it was due to the hot weather and did not consider any other possibilities, as her father had always been as sturdy as a tree. However, after several busy weeks, when she visited her father again, she was shocked to find that he had lost a significant amount of weight. Combined with his complaints of pelvic pain, she realized that her father's health was definitely deteriorating.

Preliminary blood tests suggested a problem with his kidneys, and after further examinations at the hospital, Loh Cho was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma. Initially, he was prescribed chemotherapy drugs, which successfully controlled the disease for about six months. The doctors then recommended a stem cell transplant, but he was concerned about the high cost, which the family could not afford, so he decided to continue with medication. Unfortunately, a month later, his cancer cells became uncontrollable, causing an increase in calcium and protein levels in his body, and he had to switch to another chemotherapy drug.

"My father's weight was at least 76kg before he fell ill, but it dropped to 66kg after he became sick. Additionally, one of his vertebrae has shrunk due to the invasion of cancer cells, causing pain in his spine and when walking. If the condition continues to worsen, his bones may become even more fragile, eventually leading to paralysis."

Loh Cho was initially scheduled for a bone marrow extraction in December 2023, followed by a transplant in January 2024. However, he experienced a relapse before the procedures could be completed and had to be hospitalized again. The doctors recommended another round of chemotherapy, along with a different medication regimen that could better control the disease. Although Loh Yi Yen wanted to help her father, she could not afford the full cost of the medication and was referred to the foundation for assistance.

【After being laid off and resorting to odd jobs, he relied on savings to get by. Now, with his illness, he depends on his only daughter to help cover the medical expenses】

During the MCO, Loh Cho was unfortunately laid off by a construction company and could only find temporary work, but after his diagnosis, he had to stop working altogether. He has been divorced from his ex-wife for many years and lives alone in a flat. In the past, he used to ride his motorcycle to buy food, and his monthly basic expenses such as utilities, living expenses, telephone bills, and petrol expenses could only be paid from his savings. Sometimes he also relies on the help of his only daughter, Loh Yi Yen.

Loh Yi Yen, who used to work as a human resources executive in a company, resigned last year to take care of her father full-time. She and her husband live near her father's house for easier caregiving. The couple needs to pay mortgages, car loans, living expenses, insurance, and other expenses, and her husband's father was recently diagnosed with cancer, requiring them to bear large medical expenses. They both use their savings to pay for medical expenses for their parents, but they still cannot afford the full cost of treatment.

After home visits and assessments, ONE HOPE CHARITY decided to assist Loh Cho in raising RM67,850. The family also agreed to delegate the fundraising activities to the ONE HOPE CHARITY, which will collect the donations on their behalf. In this case, the foundation will allocate RM10,000 from the "Emergency Medical Reserve Fund". For any inquiries, please contact hotline at 04-539 9212, 016-4192 192, 019-2322 192, 018-911 4192.