“We are Nabeel and Syahirah, parents of Baby Zayn, who was diagnosed with Type 1 Spinal Muscular Atrophy on 12 August 2022 as an one-month-old baby.
It all started on 4 August 2022, when Zayn only managed to drink 10ml of milk in a span of half an hour, a sixth of what he usually consumed. We thought something was not right, so we immediately took him to the Accident and Emergency (A&E) unit at National University Hospital (NUH) and he was promptly warded that evening.
We soon learned that Zayn has a rare genetic disorder, and his best hope for survival was a treatment that costs about SGD$3 Million. Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Type 1, is a neuromuscular disorder that causes muscles to weaken. It can lead to declining motor functions and other issues such as respiratory problems, scoliosis, and osteoporosis.” Through an online crowdfunding campaign, Nabeel and Syahirah received so much love from the local community that were able to raise the full treatment costs in under 3 months for Zayn to receive the treatment he required.
Zayn stayed in the hospital for about 4 months and is now happily resting at home on the road to recovery.
“It’s a funny story on how we stumbled upon the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC), as we first thought it was a place where we could place orders for McDonald’s meals but we learned from the staff after about this wonderful program provided by RMHC for parents whose child is in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
We were so thankful that RMHC provides such a facility, as it has helped us tremendously, and it provided us with a comfortable place to stay close to our baby. Without this facility, traveling to and fro the hospital would be exhausting and time-consuming as we stay quite a distance.
All the staff at RMHC have been extremely helpful and welcoming, throughout our stay, they have always gone the extra mile to make sure we and the other families staying there were comfortable.
We like to thank the RMHC Team once again, we are beyond grateful and definitely will never forget the support and kindness we received during our trying times.”
Nabeel and Syahirah, parents to Baby Zayn
When Mira Koh Xin Rong was born, her family's journey quickly became one of resilience and hope. Diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot, a form of congenital heart disease, Mira underwent a life-saving heart repair surgery on 15 July. Complications during and after the operation meant that what was expected to be a critical procedure turned into a prolonged and uncertain battle – one that kept Mira in the Intensive Care Unit for five months.
After an unexpected asthma attack, Azura found herself undergoing an emergency cesarean section delivery at just 25 weeks and 5 days of pregnancy.
Siti Nur Ain and Suhaimi are parents to cheerful 18-month-old Amira Mikayla.
