The 13 radiotherapy sessions to fight the brain tumour of Malaysiakini Bahasa Melayu section's assistant editor Mohd Jimadie Shah Othman's son, Adam Azfar could only help him move his eyelids and right leg.
He was admitted first to Serdang Hospital on Nov 3 before being transferred to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL) after it was confirmed that the boy was suffering from a sizable 2.5cm long ‘Pontine Glioma' tumour right in the middle of his brain.
Adam, the first-born of Jimadie, 32, and Emme Nurelyana Sazali, 31, was discharged on Nov 30, after three weeks of treatment in HKL.
He celebrated his sixth birthday on Nov 23 at the hospital.
The previously cheerful, active boy who loved playing with his friends is now weak and frail, bedridden at home.
"His condition is not so good... But he is still conscious. However, he can't talk or eat anything and need to be fed high nutrient milk through tubes.
"All his limbs can't move expect for his right leg and eyelids," said the father when met by
Malaysiakini
.
According to Mohd Jimadie, his son sometimes cries but there are times when he laughs.
He is only given 100 millilitres of high nutrient milk every four hours that cost RM136 each time.
Parents' agony at first born's plight
Despite putting a brave front in facing the biggest ordeal in his life, Mohd Jimadie concedes that he is often "scared" seeing the piles of medicines to relieve his son's suffering. Nevertheless, he accepts that the pain he is going through is God's test for both him and his family.
"The medicines are crushed and mixed with the milk. The steroid is given to avoid swelling after the radiotherapy treatment," he said, adding that Adam sometimes vomits once every two days.
Mohd Jimadie said that his son faces weak anti-bodies and cannot be in public places to avoid infections like cold and coughs.
Adam will go through 17 more radiotherapy sessions to control the growth of the aggressive brain tumour. According to Mohd Jimadie, his son will be transported back and forth from his house in Puchong to Kuala Lumpur.
