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

Baby TehMiaoRu, 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 costs RM15,000.

Her parents Chew Lay Hoon, 31, and TehHockSeng, 41, who are hawkers, have 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 defected when he was only a few months old but it took his parents, Lim Sik Kuang and Gek Kiaw Agus, seven years to raise enough funds to cover most of the cost of his surgery. Kelvin needed up to 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 (PCP), 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 this hospital. Each child was also given US$65 (RM247), toys and clothing.

The RCP also donated another Rm30,000 to other charity organizations. Job Link Center, Children Protection Club, and National Cancer Society Mammography Center each received RM10,000.

According to the 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 profile. She is now recuperating from the operation.

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