“Although our baby girl had brain cancer since she was three months old, we cannot give up on her as it is a life. We will do our best to cooperate with the treatment plans. The doctor said there is a 70% cure rate, so I bag the public to help our girl.”

Six-month-old baby girl Yap Zhi Qian from Kuala Lumpur was all fine since she was in her mother’s womb until birth. However, the doctor diagnosed her with medulloblastoma when she was three months old. She needed a nine-month chemotherapy regimen, and her father became a full-time dad to be with her at the hospital and care for her. Unfortunately, the medical bills were substantial, and the helpless parents were at a loss. Hence, they turned to One Hope Charity for help of RM84,900.

【After suffering from brain cancer, the doctors have performed surgery to remove a tumour as big as a ping-pong ball. And now, the baby girl continues the chemotherapy to inhibit the growth of cancer cells】

Zhi Qian was normal at birth. She weighed 3.13kg and was a lively and lovely baby girl. She was the apple of her parents’ eyes. Four days after the baby was one month old, her whole body became red and swollen. After examinations at the hospital, the doctor told the parents that the baby girl had a bacterial infection in the brain and suffered from meningitis. A blood test also revealed a bacterial infection in the spine. She stayed in the hospital for two weeks before the doctor discharged her.

When the baby was three months old, she became less active due to drowsiness, and her head circumference enlarged abnormally. Her parents felt something amiss and quickly sent her to the doctor. After multiple tests, the doctor diagnosed her with medulloblastoma – a malignant brain tumour with hydrocephalus.

The parents were devastated to receive the bad news. They could not understand why their daughter became ill as there was no family history of the disease. After much struggle, the parents gradually accepted the fact that their child had cancer. They actively cooperated with the doctor’s treatment plans, with the hope that their beloved daughter would recover. The doctor told them that the recovery rate for similar cases is as high as 70%, which ignited their hope.

The baby girl started a series of treatments, including surgery to remove a ping-pong ball-sized tumour. She later began a series of chemotherapy sessions and procedures to drain excess fluid from her brain due to hydrocephalus.

Her father, Yap Ching Keong, was a construction site manager. However, he was retrenched and became an e-hailing driver. Now, he has become a full-time dad to care for his daughter. Her mother, Cheah Man Man, works in administration and earns RM4,000 monthly. The couple also has a four-year-old son.

After reviewing the case following a home visit, One Hope Charity agreed to initiate a fundraising campaign to raise the necessary surgical expenses for the baby girl. If you have any questions or intention to donate, call One Hope Charity’s hotline at 04-539 9212, 016-419 2192, 019-232 2192 or 018-911 4192.