Story & Pictures by G.C.Tan
Slug : GZHUI

GUANGZHOU : Two young Malaysian with large 'elephant-head look-alike' tumours on their faces will be undergo operations to remove the tumours in two separate operation scheduled on 7th June and 8th June at Fuda Cancer Hospital near here.

Hong Siew Hui,18, a school leaver, of Taman Bersatu, Simpang Empat, Kedah and Tan Kia Khim,25, a coffee shop helper from Taman Thean Peng,Alor Star had been highlighted by Malaysia local media for the passed few weeks over their odd-looking faces.

They left their home town in Alor Star on April 15th and they are already 24-days warded in Fuda Cancer Hospital. They had gone through a few preliminary medical check-ups including procedures like haematological and vascular interventional exainations, chest radiographs, X-rays, MRI, CT scans, biopsies and other checkups.

President of Fuda Cancer Hospital Prof Xu Kecheng and vice president/associate professor Dr. Niu Lizhi and director of the hospital Dr He Weibing will be leading the two operations with the assistant of other specialists and supports staff of the hospital.

Hong Siew Hui,18, will undergo first stage of surgery on 7th April ,begining 3.00pm.

Prof Xu Kecheng, said associate prof Niu Lizhi will used a procedure called "Cryosurgery Therapy" (cryoablation) by injecting argon(helium) into the Siew Hui's tumour to block the blood circulation inside the tumour and later on damaged the tumour by freezing the tumour at minus 160 degrees Celsius.The hospital had more than 2500 cases experiences using this procedure for various kind of tumour.

The freezing procedure took about one and a half hour. Siew Hui was wheeled out from the operation theatre at about 5.15pm in stable condition but some tears.
The operation is consider one of the most widely coverage "faces reconstrution" operation in the hospital's history. Media representatives from Malaysia such as STAR, tHE cHINA pRESS, Nanyang Siang Pau, Guang Ming Daily, Bernama TV, 8tv, NTV 7 and local China televisyen station including "Southern Television" and "Guangdong Television", Hong Kong "Wen Hui Pao" were there to cover the operation live.

Siew Hui further operation will be depending on the out-come of the first procedure.
If everything showed positive sign, surgery will be continue stage by stage on weekly basic , to partially remove the tumour until all the tumour remove.

Tan Kia Khim,25, of Taman Thean Peng, Alor Star, will be fully undergo operation to remove the whole tumour at 8.00am on 8th June.

"I am 90% confident that the operation will be a success and I am not scared," said Kia Khim at his room on 7th June.

Tan's father Tan Seong Meng 50, who flew in from Alor Star on 5th June to support his son when met at the hospital also expressed confident with the group of doctors taking part in the operation and that the operations will success.
"I am praying for Kia Khim smooth operation by reciting some prayer in the room," he said.
"My wife Hooi Hong,45,and my three children in Alor Star lighting-up candles day and night at home for the safety of Tan throughout the operation," he added.

Hong,18, said, "I am confident Tan's surgery will go on smoothly, mine will be more complicated as the growth is bigger".

"I am not scared of injection anymore but I am a little bit nervous," she said.
Hong's mother Goh Jit Yang, too, though appeared calm and confident when her daughter was wheeled into operation theatre she showed some worried on her face.

Hong's father Hong Wah,61, who is very much wish to be by the side of his daughter, cound'nt make the trip due to financial problem to purchase air ticket.

BACKGROUND:

Hong,18, of Taman Bersatu, Simpang Empat, Kedah was the first "elephant-head look-alike face" youth featured in the media recently following the SPM results.

She was spotted by local journalists while she claiming her of SPM examination results on March 20th this year at her school at SMK Tokai, Pendang.
She, who sat for 11 subjects, scored a 1A in Mathematics, her favourite subject, a 3B, two 4Bs and a 5C.

She hoped to further her studies in accounting in one of the polytechnics in the country which schedule to begin in July this year

"I had receiving news that my application for the course had been rejected. So I am now looking forward to the operation to begin a new life,"said Hong.

Tan thanks Hong as if without her appearance in the newspaper, nobody will know him and he will be forever carrying the tumour with him.

Kedah Chinese Assembly Hall (KCAH) secretary Cheng Lai Hock said the Kedah Chinese Assembly Hall (KCAH) has raised RM 300,000 till 4th June for two of them to undergo medical check-up in Guangzhou that would probably leading to reconstructive of their odd faces.

He added that although the fund of RM300,000 had been gathered so far, the fundraising would continue as there would be other expenses after the preliminary checks and initial surgery.
END