By Nur Ashikin Louis
KUCHING, May 16: As Sarawakians celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri in a moderate manner this year in the shadow of the Covid-19 pandemic, a father of four children wishes for nothing more than his hospitalised wife and their five-month-old unborn baby to return home safe and sound.
Syahrizal Muhammad Hasbi, 37, said his pregnant wife, Nurfaizura Ahmad, 37, has been in the hospital since the night of April 12, 2021 after the couple were involved in a hit-and-run accident at Jalan Medang near Kubah Ria Commercial Complex.
“That night, a night before Ramadan (fasting month), my wife and I were travelling straight on a motorcycle from Pasar Satok to our home, when an MPV car abruptly took a left turn to Jalan Medang and crashed into us.
“The crash caused me to fall from the bike while my pregnant wife was thrown into the air. The car, however, fled the scene,” he told DayakDaily when met recently.
Due to the impact, Syahrizal sustained minor injuries while his wife fell unconscious and was diagnosed with cerebral hemorrhage.
He explained that his wife’s brain experienced swelling following the accident and had to undergo a decompressive craniectomy whereby she had a portion of her skull removed to reduce the risk of severe brain damage.
He added his wife only regained consciousness on the 12th day of Ramadan (April 24).
“However, her whole body is very much in a vegetative state. At times, I would call her name and she would just stare at me. I would get scared that there is a possibility that she could not recognise me.
“I would only be able to breath a sigh of relief after she blinks her eyes, sending signals that she hears me and acknowledges me as her husband. I do this everyday, hoping that she would not suffer any memory loss,” he shared, adding that their unborn baby remains healthy throughout the process.
Syahrizal and wife have four children aged between 4 and 11, and they live in Kampung Gita Baru together with his parents and three other siblings.
Prior to the accident, the married couple were small time traders, who operated a roadside stall at Jalan Pinang Jawa near Gita. They would sell ‘rojak’ (local fruit salad) during the day as well as burger and ‘nasi lemak ayam berempah’ (coconut rice with spiced chicken) at night.
Following the unfortunate incident, Syahrizal no longer operates their stall due to the absence of his wife.
Despite being out of work, he admits that he is grateful for his parents and siblings who are there to help him and his four children in getting by.
“This experience is one that is very hard for me but as the head of the family who is now playing the role of both a mother and a father, I have to be strong for my wife and our children.
“I just hope that God would grant her a speedy recovery so that she could return home with me to her children quickly,” he said.
Asked if there is any update on the hit-and-run perpetrator who is still on the loose, Syahrizal said he would leave it to the police to investigate the case.
“I personally hope he (the driver of the MPV) will come forward and take responsibility.
“I have given it a long thought. I have no intention of harming the perpetrator or so on. But I wish to show him how the accident had affected me, my wife and my family so that he should feel guilty and do his part in sharing this responsibility,” he emphasised.
Touching on this year’s Aidilfitri celebration, Syahrizal said that he was in no mood to celebrate as he spends most of his time focusing on his wife’s recovery and hospital needs.
Another reason was because of the State government’s call to limit the celebration to a minimal level as part of efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19.
However, he noted that he had still made modest preparations for the sake of his four children who were looking forward to the celebration.
Tupong assemblyman Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman who paid a personal visit to Syahrizal at his residence on May 12, disclosed that he and Petra Jaya MP Dato Sri Fadillah Yusof are ready to help ease the burden of the family.
Showing his compassion for others especially his constituents, Fazzrudin reminded Syahrizal to prepare a quotation list once the latter has received the list of necessary items for the treatment of his wife from the hospital.
“YB Dato Sri Fadillah and I understand how costly the treatment and the necessary medical equipment would be. Therefore, we would be ready to help in terms of financial assistance,” he said when met during his visit.
At the same time, he encouraged members of the public to also come forward and help Syahrizal.
Those who wish to render assistance to the family may contact Syahrizal at 017-8937216. — DayakDaily
