KUCHING: Six-year-old Muhammad Faris Habibullah, who was born with a congenital heart defect, has successfully undergone urgent surgery to replace the battery of the pacemaker that keeps him alive.
However, RM60,000 is still needed to cover the cost.
The boy, who underwent four major surgeries since birth, received his pacemaker in 2020 after developing a complete heart block.
CCEP Foundation chief executive officer Yvonne Yee said the foundation stepped in after doctors warned that the battery, already fully depleted, could stop at any time.
“Pacemaker is a lifelong medical device, it sends electrical impulses to the heart to ensure it beats at a normal rate, especially when the heart is too slow or irregular. But its battery lasts about 10 years depending on usage.
“Children’s batteries run out faster due to their higher activity levels. And In Faris’s case, the battery is already fully depleted, and doctors have warned that the pacemaker could stop at any time,” she said in a statement today.
Due to the urgency of his case, Yee said the hospital agreed to proceed with the surgery first upon receiving CCEP’s guarantee letter.
“Thankfully, the surgery was successfully completed, and Faris was discharged on Aug 8.
“CCEP and the hospital have agreed that once the fundraising is complete, payment will be made immediately to the hospital,” she said.
She added that Faris suffers from Coarctation of the Aorta (Co-Ao) and Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD).
“On Feb 22, 2020, he underwent surgery to repair the Co-Ao and pulmonary artery banding followed by VSD repair and removal of the banding on July 2, 2020.
“After that, he developed complete heart block and had a pacemaker implanted on July 10, 2020,” she said.
Faris’s father, Sahat, from Sadong Jaya, said his son was first diagnosed with a heart problem at just 10 days old, when he was brought to a clinic for jaundice checks and referred to a hospital where a hole in his heart was detected.
“He was admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for more than a month. Later, the doctor recommended a Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) surgery. After the procedure, they gave him five months to allow the hole in his heart to close naturally.
“But following a second surgery, he developed complete heart block and needed a pacemaker to survive,” he said.
Sahat, who has five children, said Faris, his third chid, is the only one with a heart condition.
“When I found out the pacemaker battery needed replacement, I was deeply worried. Only after the surgery is done, I felt relieved,” he said.
Meanwhile, donations can be made to CCEP Foundation via RHB Bank account 26219300009342.
For enquiries, contact 03-7955 9999 or 010-2798849.
