GEORGETOWN, Wed : A baby girl, who was on assisted ventilation since birth, has been taken off the machine while a seven-year-old heart patient get a new lease of life, thanks to the public who care and contributed through the Penang Adventist Hospital Heart Patients’ Fund and the Rotary Gift of Life.

Baby Teh Miao Ru, born in mid November last year, has been on assisted ventilation since birth due to heart complications and her medical expenses have totaled RM31,000 while her actual heart surgery cost RM15,000.

Her parents Chew Lay Hoon, 31, and Teh Hock Seng, 41,who are hawkers, have been raised funds to cover the costs and received support of the Rotary project and the hospital’s fund.

Seven-year-old Indonesian Kelvin Susanto, a beneficiary of the Rotary International Gift of Life project, also has heart complications and will be undergoing surgery in the same hospital soon.

Kelvin’s condition was detected when he was only a few months old but it took his parents, Lim Sik Kuang and Geek Kiaw Agus, seven years to raise enough funds to cover most of the cost of his surgery. Kelvin needed up RM30,000 for his heart surgery.

Lim is a laborer who earns RM350 per month while Gek is a housewife.

Today, the Rotary Club of Penang (RCP), under its Gift of Life project, donated RM10,000 to the hospital heart patient fund.

Last October, a second batch of six Cambodian children had their heart surgery done at the hospital with the expenses covered by the Rotary Gift of Life and the hospital.

Each child was also given US$65 (RM247), toys and clothing.

The RCP also donated another RM30,000 o other charity organization. Job Link Centre, Children Protection Centre and National Cancer Society Mammography Centre each received RM10,000.

According to Rotarian Michael Chen, the funds are taken from the Rotary Malaysian Lego Flag Project which collected RM60,000.

Chen announced that the balance of the Medical and Surgical funds collected through the Tamil Selvi Shanmugam and Fiona Ang’s funds is RM64.170.

Tamil Selvi Shanmugam, who used to have severe malocclusion has undergone an operation to correct her facial asymmetry and improved her facial profile. She is now recuperating from the operation.

However, Fiona Ang, who suffered from acute leukemia, passed away in August last year.