Is your child being abused by the maid?
14 years ago Samuel was close to death, after 1 of his parents’ maids poured sulfuric acid down his throat. On June 29th 1999, Samuel’s working parents left him at his grandmother’s flat, in the care of their 2 Indonesian maids. In the absence of the grandmother, Sumiyem, 17, poured sulfuric acid into Samuel’s mouth. The act of spite was a way to frame the other maid, who at the time of incident was in the kitchen and unaware of the going-on.
“No one expected him to live.”
Samuel was immediately rushed to National University Hospital for an emergency treatment. Associate Professor Daniel Goh, head of the pediatric department, examined Samuel right after the incident. He remembers the severe injuries inflicted on Samuel: “Because the airway and the gut were badly burnt by the acid, his life was definitely in danger. His prognosis then was very poor.” Dr. Goh also recalled that, “Nobody expected him to live.”
Samuel was taken to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at the National University Hospital. He spent six months there and underwent two operations to enable him to breathe, according to his father.
Round-the-clock care
Although Sumiyen was imprisoned for her crime in 2000, the ordeal was far from over for Samuel’s parents. Ms Tan learnt cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills and kept watch by her son’s side around the clock after he returned home. She recalls many sleepless nights as she constantly wake up during the night to check on Samuel.
“There were so many times when he choked on his phlegm or his airway got blocked, and we had to rush him to hospital in the middle of the night,” she said.
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The boy who has never tasted food
Samuel described his life as rather normal, despite the gastrostomy tube inserted into his stomach for feeding. He told reporters of his daily routine during mealtimes,”When I am in school, I go to the pantry for my meals,” said Samuel, as he covered the opening of his tracheostomy tube with his chin to make his speech clearer. “I am afraid people can’t understand me. So I don’t like to speak.”
When Samuel was younger, he would go with the family on outings to McDonald’s, even though he could not eat anything. He has never complained or asked to eat, according to his mother. However, Samuel said: “I just find food disgusting.”
Samuel’s school principal, Mrs Saraspathy Menon, told reporters that her staff ensures that Samuel takes his meals on time, at three-hour intervals and always in the privacy of the staff pantry…
A shining example to everyone
In spite of Samuel’s reticence, Menon praised Samuel for his courage and spirit.”Samuel is a remarkable child. He has a smile for everyone and he has never complained about the challenges that he is grappling with. He exemplifies resilience and courage and all of us in Yuan Ching Secondary School have much to learn from him.”
5 safety tips when choosing a maid
It may never be fully understood what made the maid act in the way she did, but it pays to choose your own maid wisely. Here are five things to bear in mind:
1. Ask friends and other parents you know to recommend a reputable agency.
2. Ensure a potential agency can give you references.
3. Make sure they understand how many children they would be expected to look after, the children’s ages and any special problems relating to your children.
4. Ask yourself if your maid has the patience required to look after a child in difficult circumstances for example, if the child is unwell or starts crying?
5. Trust your instincts; if anything about the maid makes you uneasy then your child will feel it as well.
Source: Malaysian Chronicle
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