Tuesday May 16, 2006

By NGU IK YING

TWO young people with large tumours on their faces have left for China for reconstructive surgery.

The two from Alor Star had mi-xed feelings about leaving their beloved families before the flight departed at 8.10am yesterday from the Penang International Airport.

Hong Siew Hui, 18, said she was “a little nervous” to be away from home for the first time although she was accompanied by her mo-ther Goh Jit Yang, 58.

“I’m happy that I’m given a chance to undergo surgery to make me look better,” she said.

She hoped that the operation would give her a new life, allowing her to live free of people’s stares and shock over her appearance.

HOPING FOR THE BEST:Tan(right)and Hong with her mother Goh(left)waving goodbye at the Penang airport before flying off to China yesterday.
The Kedah Chinese Assembly Hall (KCAH) has raised RM240,000 for her and Tan Kia Khim, 25, to be at the Fuda Cancer Hospital in Guangdong for a two-week medi-cal check-up that would probably lead to a facelift.

The SPM school leaver said she hoped to further her studies in ac-counting in one of the polytechnics in the country in July after the ope-ration.

Hong, the youngest in the family of six, has been suffering from the growth since birth and the tumour has robbed her of her left eye-sight.

Tan, a coffee shop assistant, was confident and optimistic of the operation in China.

“I am 88% confident that it will be a success,” he said.

Tan is suffering from permanently swollen face after he fell off from bed when he was only a few months old.

KCAH special medical fund chairman Koh Choon Lai said the total medical expenses for both Tan and Hong was RM330, 000 and the fund is short of of RM90,000.

“The money raised will be used for their preliminary checks and several surgical procedures,” he told reporter after bidding fare-well to Hong and Tan.

Koh said the fund established in April this year would continue to help people who suffered from tu-mours.

Donors can send crossed che-ques made payable to ‘KCAH Spe-cial Medical Fund’ to the assembly hall at No 8, Jalan Tanjung Ben- dahara, 05300 Alor Star, or deposit the money into Public Bank ac-count number 3135-78-032-4 or call O4-7354016 for details.