At 17, most teenagers are busy preparing for their SPM exams. But for Muhammad Nur Amin Abdullah, life carries an added weight – the uncertainty of living with a heart condition.
Amin was five when he was diagnosed with a small opening in one of his heart valves. Despite having undergone surgery at the time, the hole grew larger as he grew older.
More recently, his heart became swollen, causing him to tire easily and experience shortness of breath. Upon being referred to Institut Jantung Negara (IJN), he was told he needed an aortic valve replacement.
As his situation was critical, Amin last month underwent the procedure that cost RM60,000 – a sum far beyond what his family can afford.
That’s when CCEP Foundation, an NGO that helps the poor, needy, deprived and underprivileged, stepped in to help.
According to its CEO, Yvonne Yee, Amin was referred to them by IJN and the NGO issued a written commitment to the hospital to cover the surgery cost. FMT Lifestyle has verified the case with IJN.
The procedure was successfully performed on July 19, and Amin was discharged from the hospital on July 28. Now, the NGO is appealing for the public’s help to raise the funds.
Family matters
According to Yee, Amin’s mother stays home to care for her family and depends only on her husband’s monthly income of RM800, along with some aid from the welfare department. Amin’s biological father passed away when he was in Standard Two.
Amin, the second of seven siblings, has an older brother who had been involved in a road accident at age 10. This caused a bone misalignment that has never been operated on.
Another brother, 16, is disabled. He, too, had been involved in an accident when he was younger, which led to bone problems. As the family couldn’t afford treatment, he eventually lost his ability to walk.
Amin’s other siblings are aged 12, seven and six, while the youngest is only three months old. Amin lives with his mother, stepfather, siblings and grandparents in a small zinc-roofed wooden house.
“After learning about their living conditions, we decided to help Amin,” Yee said, adding that they began fundraising on July 28 and have raised almost RM20,000 as of press time.
Education and ambition
Yee describes Amin as a determined and positive young man. “He understands that in order to change his family’s difficult situation, he must first be healthy.
“He told us sincerely, ‘I want to give my family a comfortable life.’ A young person with such strong ideals and maturity truly deserves our support.”
For Amin, education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty. “My ambition is to continue my studies in a university because I want to improve my family’s future,” he said.
Meanwhile, his mother Yana shared: “He studies very hard, but he has fainted many times in school due to fatigue, as his classroom is on the fourth floor. Whenever he feels unwell, his teachers will call me to pick him up.”
She added that Amin always tries his best not to miss school and to complete his homework as he will be sitting for SPM this year.
If you wish to help, donations can be made directly to CCEP Foundation, RHB Bank account number 2621 9300 009 342. Please use the reference ‘Nur Amin’.
If you require a receipt, kindly send them a WhatsApp message.
Learn more about CCEP Foundation here, or contact 03-7955 9999 / 010-279 8849.
