"OR-KHUN"(Thank You).Cambodian heart patients Rean Thavleak and Lam Phay (second from right), flanked by their mothers Such Samphors (left) and Ing Meuy (right) thanking and bidding farewell to Penang Adventist Hospital staff today.

Rean , aged five and Lam Phay, 13 were leaving for home after successfully undergoing corrective heart surgeries at PAH, under the “Gift of Life Programme’’

They were among the first batch of four Cambodian children from the (AHC) in Siem Reap, northern Cambodian, who arrived here for corrective heart surgery on May 3.

Among those present to see them off at the Bayan Lepas International Airport this morning were PAH Heart Patients’ Fund chairman Lim Chooi Eng and PAH Heart Center Manager Grace Lai.

Lam had been the first to undergo surgery on May 7, with Rean who was suffering from an Atrial septal Defect undergoing surgery on May 8.

The two other children in the group, nine-year-old Van Sonoy and nine-month-old baby Pun Chea, have also undergone surgery but are still under post-operation care. They are expected to leave for home in about 10 days.

The four were the first of 45 children whose mercy flights from Siem Reap were sponsored by Royal Air Cambodge (RAC).

The 45 selected to under heart surgery under the programme had been among 76 screened by PAH in response to a call for help by the AHC last February.

RAC, the main sponsor of "Gift of Life 2001" has committed US$100,000(RM380,000) in air tickets for the international effort under the auspices of Rotary International.

Under the programme, Rotary International, through a matching-grant, had contributed US$100,000 by sponsoring US$2,000 towards the US$5,000 surgery cost of 50 young heart patients.

Donation to the Gift of Life Programme which are tax exempt, may be sent to The Rotary Club of Penang, Gift of Life 2 Account, c/o 7 Jalan Kelawei, 10250 Penang. For further details, call Lim Chooi Eng at 04-2266331.