NILAI: A 17-year-old girl battling stage four Thoracoabdominal Paraspinal Neuroblastoma is urgently in need of financial assistance amounting to RM574,740 to continue her treatment at Tunku Azizah Hospital (HTA), Kuala Lumpur.
Nurul Syahira Aliesya Roshizam, who was diagnosed with the rare and aggressive cancer last year, has already undergone four surgeries to remove the tumour, along with six rounds of chemotherapy.
She now requires further treatment, including Isotretinoin therapy and Dinutuximab Beta (Qarziba) immunotherapy, scheduled for this November.
The third of seven siblings, Nurul Syahira, has been unable to attend school since her diagnosis. Despite her condition, she remains hopeful of resuming her education and sitting for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination once she recovers.
“I really miss school, my friends and my teachers. I will fight to recover. The doctors and nurses have been encouraging, and I’ve seen other patients like me go on to recover and succeed in life.
“If possible, I want to return to Form Four next year. I’m an accounting student, and I still have big dreams,” said Nurul Syahira, speaking from her home recently.
Her father, Roshizam, 50, said that only about RM32,000 has been raised so far, and he hopes more individuals or organisations will come forward to help ease the family’s financial burden.
“I work in a factory and earn about RM2,200 a month. I have to support my wife, Che Ma Abdullah, 44, who is a housewife, and our six other children aged between five and 21,” he said.
He added that Nurul Syahira is a bright student who was enrolled in the Dual Language Programme (DLP) at her school before she fell ill.
“The doctor told me that the second option is medication that she needs to take until the end of her life, but we will try to get enough funds, our daughter is still young and has ambitions and a bright future,” he said.
“The doctor told us that an alternative is lifelong medication, but we are doing our best to raise funds for the immunotherapy. Our daughter is still young and full of dreams…she deserves a chance at life and a future,” he said.
Roshizam previously utilised his employer-provided insurance, amounting to RM20,000, for Nurul Syahira’s initial treatment at a private hospital and then continued at a government hospital.
“The treatment process at the government hospital went smoothly, and the hospital covered almost 80 of the treatment cost, but the Qarziba immunotherapy must be self-funded.
“We are grateful that the treatment so far has gone smoothly. Now we just need help to cover this final, crucial stage,” he added.
For those who wish to contribute, the family can be contacted at telephone number 011-68538378. – BERNAMA
