Hope Place Kuching comes to aid of child with multiple diseases

KUCHING (Sept 6): Hope Place Kuching is assisting five-year-old Nur Jannah Rahmat, who suffers from multiple diseases, as her family is struggling to make ends meet.

Hope Place in a statement yesterday said Nur Jannah suffers from Global Development Delay (GDD), which results in her becoming physically, mentally and vocally disabled. She is unable to walk or talk since she was diagnosed with the disease at the age of one.

“Given her learning and mental disabilities, Nur Jannah is unable to learn basic skills like feeding herself, languages or understanding her surroundings.

“Although she is unable to walk due to her weak and undeveloped legs, Nur Jannah is able to crawl, and according to her mother, Nur Jannah cries when she is hungry,” said the non-governmental organisation (NGO).

It is learnt that Nur Jannah lives with her parents and three siblings at Kampung Semariang Bentara here, and that her father, Rahmat, 37, works as a daily paid labourer at his village.

“Inconsistent work at the village leads to Rahmat earning a maximum income of just RM800 monthly. Meanwhile, Nur Jannah’s mother, Nurima, 30, takes care of the household chores,” said Hope Place.

The NGO said Nur Jannah looked ‘very small for her age and a little malnourished’, and was told by Nurima that her daughter eats very little solid food and prefers milk instead.

“Nurima, who feels anxious for her daughter, said Nur Jannah will undergo an X-ray examination next year to see the development of her bones,” it said.

Hope Place said Rahmat is often at wits’ end with rent and his two school-going children, and when there is no work, he would collect wild vegetables and sell them at their village.

“Many times, my husband could not afford to buy milk powder. In desperation, I have to borrow money from my own siblings,” Nurima confided to Hope Place.

As such, the NGO is supporting Nur Jannah with milk powder and children’s diapers. She will also be enrolled at a community rehabilitation centre for disabled children in Petra Jaya here next year, it added.

Hope Place welcomes all donations and will issue receipts upon request. People can donate directly to Hope Place Maybank account 511289001160 or visit the NGO’s Facebook page for the S Pay Global QR code.

For more information, call Hope Place on 082-505987 or 013-5672775.