By Brad Rantayy
MIRI, Jan 20: Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) Piasau today launched a fund to assist the family of nine-year-old Sheimark Lai Asnah, to get treatment for a suprasellar tumour which has caused a rapid decline in his vision.
SUPP Piasau chairman Datuk Sebastian Ting when met today at his office here, said the public could send donations to help pay for Sheimark’s medical bills.
“An estimated around RM40,000 to RM50,000 is needed for Sheimark’s operation,” revealed Ting.
He added, any donations may be deposited into the ‘Sehati Service and Information Centre’ account in Alliance Bank, account number 110270010015028.
Specialists from Borneo Medical Centre (BMC) are scheduled to perform an estimated 20-hour operation next week, to remove as much of the tumour as possible from Sheimark.
Ting said according to BMC’s specialist neurosurgeons, Sheimark’s most recent brain MRI on Jan 18 this year showed that the tumour is nearly 6cm X 5cm in dimension compressing the third and fourth ventricle, causing displacement.
“The disease has progressed and we need neurosurgical intervention immediately,” Ting emphasised.
Sheimark holds Malaysian-born foreigner status due to his parents not having proper marriage certification.
His 30-year-old father, Henrick Lai Yee How, is a Sarawakian, while his mother is an Indonesian.
The family lives in Tudan Desaras.
Due to financial constraints, the boy was unable to proceed for further treatment, leading him to lose his eyesight since December last year.
According to Sheimark’s morther, Asnah Gani, 29, her son was diagnosed with a suprasellar tumor on December 16 last year.
“We first noticed his symptoms prior to his admission at Miri Hospital in December last year for recurrent headaches with blurry and blank spots in his vision,” said Asnah.
Sheimark is currently being treated at BMC.
He is the second of four siblings aged 13, nine, two and one respectively. — DayakDaily
