KUALA LUMPUR: For A. Manaf Mohd Noh, this trip to South Korea was supposed to bring a smile to his face.
Manaf, from Petaling Jaya, had been caring for his wife, who suffered from Parkinson’s disease, up until she died in November last year.
His children had planned the trip for their 81-year-old father in order to take his mind off their mother’s death.
Instead, the family trip has since turned into a series of disasters. Manaf fell gravely ill and had to be hospitalised. The hospital bill has since ballooned to a whopping RM800,000, which the family cannot afford.
They are now seeking help from kind-hearted Malaysians to help them pay the bill so their father can come home.
On Dec 4, four days after he reached Seoul, Manaf began suffering from extreme fatigue and could barely walk.
He was then rushed to the Gangnam Severance Hospital. Doctors diagnosed him with a dissected aorta.
A dissected aorta is a serious condition in which the inner layer of the aorta, the large blood vessel branching off the heart, tears. Medical experts estimate that of people who suffer from the condition, 40 per cent die immediately and do not reach a hospital in time
Given the severity of the case, doctors opted to operate on Manaf.
Manaf’s son, Mahfiz, 40, said the first surgery cost them RM350,000.
Manaf then had to undergo a second surgery after doctors found suspected bleeding from his veins.
He is now in the intensive care unit and is responding positively to treatment.
Mahfiz said the family tried to negotiate with the hospital to pay 25 per cent of the total amount first, but the hospital rejected the offer.
“The hospital will not release our father even if he is fit to travel home, until full payment is made.
“We are at our wits ends on what to do. Getting financial assistance on such short notice is near impossible. Even if the siblings put together whatever resources we currently have, it is still not enough to cover the total cost of the bill.
“His (Manaf) travel insurance only covers up to the age of 79. My father is 81.”
Desperate, the family has since launched a fundraising campaign via Facebook and GoFundMe. They hope generous Malaysians will help them in their bid to bring their father home so he can continue his treatment in Malaysia.
“We just want him to be happy again.”
Those who wish to help the family can channel their donations to https://www.gofundme.com/lets-bring-manaf-home.