Baby with brain swelling in Singapore needs urgent help to survive

Little Hoai Thuong is just 19 months old. She has hydrocephalus, a condition where fluid collects in the brain. She is currently receiving treatment in Gleneagles Hospital, but needs lots of support to survive.

We urge our readers to help this little child in whatever small way they can. A crowdfunding page has been set up for her cause.

If would like to extend your help and improve Hoai’s plight, you can make a donation directly to her account at Gleneagles Hospital, here. Just remember to enter her name as Hoai Thuong.

Alternatively, you may visit Give.Asia’s page, here, to make a donation, which will also go directly to her. 

If you wish to support baby Hoai in other ways, you can also visit her at level 9, ward 950 of Gleneagles Hospital. Or share this post to as many as you know.

Baby Hoai has undergone one major surgery last November, which saved her life, but she still needs more treatment here or will not survive. (Picture: Gilbert Cheah Facebook)

When Gilbert Cheah (a Singaporean) heard about this very sick little Vietnamese baby, he knew he had to help. 

He set on a mission to raise enough funding to continue treatment for this baby with hydrocephalus. 

Mr Cheah, who is the former Singapore Tatler Managing Director, was determined to raise funds to pay for Hoai’s urgent life-saving surgery. 

Treatment for baby with hydrocephalus: Hoai before the treatment. (Source: Nguyen Thi Thao Huong Facebook)

According to him in a recent Facebook post, Hoai’s case is the “most serious and the one who has run out of funds for medical care”.

Despite undergoing one major surgery in November 2017, Hoai still requires further treatment or will not survive. The little one has already undergone seven operations. 

The bills so far which total up to over S$220,000 have all been paid by donors from Vietnam but another S$100,000 is needed for the additional surgery and treatment.

Hoai’s father had passed away just two months after she was born, leaving her with just her mother — her family has no way of paying for the medical treatment here. 

Treatment for baby with hydrocephalus: the family needs all the funds that they can get to ensure their daughter’s survival. (Picture: Gilbert Cheah’s Facebook)

“It was very sad to see her lying there with her enlarged head, and she struggled constantly to turn her head, which was too heavy for her small body to move,” says Mr Cheah in his post.

The pressure from the excess fluid also makes her twist her body, causing her spine to curve.

Gilbert Cheah (right), who is helping to raise funds for Baby Hoai (left) so that she can survive Hydrocephalus. (Picture: Gilbert Cheah’s Facebook)

Thankfully, many kind and genuine souls offered to step up to raise funds for baby Hoai after some S$220,000 has been raised by Vietnamese donors. 

Mr Cheah also tracks and posts updates of the medical fees paid to the hospital so that donors are kept up to date on the status. 

Here’s the latest statement from the hospital uploaded by him:

Since Mr Cheah’s last post on 21 September, another $20K has been raised. 

If would like to extend your help and improve Hoai’s plight, you can make a donation directly to her account at Gleneagles Hospital, here. Just remember to enter her name as Hoai Thuong.

Alternatively, you may visit Give.Asia’s page, here, to make a donation, which will also go directly to her. 

If you wish to support baby Hoai in other ways, you can also visit her at level 9, ward 950 of Gleneagles Hospital. Or share this post to as many as you know.

Mums and dads, do not take this condition lightly and avoid seeking treatment. If left untreated, it can lead to brain damage, a loss in mental and physical abilities, and even death. However, with early diagnosis and timely treatment, most children recover successfully.

At theAsianParent, we hope that baby Hoai will pull through and emerge healthy and safe. We’d also like to extend our gratitude to Gilbert Cheah for setting a wonderful example in kindness and generosity. 

Source: KidsHealth, Gilbert Cheah, Nguyen Thi Thao Huong, Give.Asia

Also READ: Singapore baby with hydrocephalus needs your HELP!