The pair of parents don't have a chance to carry or comfort their infant in their arms. The premature baby boy is fragile and can only temporarily stay in an incubator with tubes inserted into his tiny body. Various life support machines also surround him.

The parents waited for the arrival of their newborn with joy. Unexpectedly, the baby was born with underdeveloped lungs before the estimated due date. The mood of the family turned from joy to worry. Seeing their son receiving treatments in the neonatal intensive care unit, the parents have to temporarily forget about their sorrows and try their best to raise RM80,000 for their son's medical expenses.

【He was born prematurely with lung problems. The baby boy still does not have a chance to feel the warmth staying in his parents' arms】

In late February this year, 38-year-old Khairul Azhar Abdul Rashid and his 36-year-old wife, Robayiah Abd Rahman, from Perak, were excitedly waiting for the arrival of their fourth child at a clinic. However, the joyous moment turned gloomy when the doctor told them that their newborn baby boy, Muhammad Farel Mateen, had breathing problems and had to be rushed to the hospital immediately.

After his admission to the hospital and examination, the doctor told the parents that the infant was born before the 38th week, so he suffered from the symptoms of premature babies. He had respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), a common lung disease in premature babies. As the infant's lung was not fully developed, his air sacs could not open all the time, which caused him to have breathing difficulty. He needed a ventilator and was fed medication and nutrients through a tube.

The baby boy's lungs were underdeveloped, so the doctor suggested he receive an antibiotic injection to avoid serious lung infections. However, the medication and treatment costs made his parents stressed. In addition, Muhammad Farel Mateen has suspected blood accumulation and swelling in his knee, which will need further examination.

【The family of five is already facing financial pressure, and now, the family is helpless to meet the need for substantial medical expenses for the newborn】

His father, Khairul Azhar Abdul Rashid, is a contract employee, spending most of his time working on a ship. His salary depends on how many days he works, and he brings home about RM1,700 monthly. His mother, Robayiah Abd Rahman, used to sell homemade cakes in the market but stopped working after being pregnant with Muhammad Farel Mateen. She said she went to the government and private clinics for the prenatal check-up and was told that both mother and baby were in good condition. Therefore, they were at a loss when the baby was born with health issues.

Muhammad Farel Mateen is the couple's fourth child. They still have two daughters and a son between three and eleven.

As the parents could not afford Muhammad Farel Mateen's medical expenses of RM80,000, they approached One Hope Charity for help, hoping to raise public funds to pay for their son's treatment.

After reviewing the case, One Hope Charity decided to help Muhammad Farel Mateen by raising RM80,000 for his treatment. 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. Call 04-539 9212, 016-419 2192, 019-232 2192 or 018-911 4192 if you have questions.