Toddler plagued with debilitating health setbacks
Association helping mother to deal with challenges, personal care and fundraising for medical expenses
PETALING JAYA: At only three years old, few would have survived a close brush with death like J’den K’ng. In his short three years, he has lost his sight and ability to walk, after being diagnosed with acute cerebral edema – a condition that causes fluid to build up in the brain.
“When he was a year old, J’den had a severe seizure. His mother took him to the Penang General Hospital to be treated. Sadly, his eyesight worsened and that was when he was diagnosed with cerebral edema,” said Malaysian Association for the Welfare of Mentally Challenged Children guardian, Susan Pu.
Without the means to care for him, J’den’s mother reached out to Pu and the association’s chairman Chang Ming Kiet for help to get immediate care for her son.
“J’den’s mother is a single parent and is unable to fully care for him while at work. She found us on our Facebook page and called for help. Her call was timely as it was eight days before the first MCO was implemented on March 18.
“When he came to us, J’den weighed only 2.8kg. His case has been referred to Universiti Malaya Medical Centre,” Pu said.
At 18 months, a baby’s average weight should ideally be 9.6kg, according to verywellfamily.com, a healthcare information website.
Fortunately for J’den, many at the home were eager to help.
“Thankfully, we received RM10,000 from our fundraising, but J’den needs RM5,000 monthly for his care. The money goes towards his milk powder, weekly physiotherapy, speech therapy, diapers and a professional caregiver.
“In speech therapy, he is learning how to chew and swallow his food correctly. Physiotherapy is essential for J’den to keep his body flexible, and prevent muscular atrophy. In total, he’ll need RM61,000 yearly,” said Pu.
J’den is one of three children staying at the association’s facility. It cares for 72 individuals, which include special needs children with autism, Down Syndrome, cerebral palsy and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
“True to our mission to help them, our logo IQ70+ means that the IQ of a mentally challenged person is usually below 70 as opposed to the IQ of 100 for a normal person.
“The plus symbol means that we aim to create a better chance in life for them.”
Those who want to know more about the association’s work, or wish to contribute, can call Pu at 018-294 7455 or 03-7960 8003.