Indonesian Toddler With Leukaemia Requires S$300K For Treatment, Family Seeks Help
Sadly, terminal illnesses don’t just strike older folks — they can also affect the younger members of society too.
Such a situation is always devastating, especially for the parents, who will then do everything in their power to help their child.
This was the case for Carlson, an Indonesian toddler who has leukaemia.
Source: GIVE.asia
Having come to Singapore for treatment, his family is seeking donations to help with his medical fees, which are expected to cost S$300,000.
Symptoms started one year ago
Carlson’s family shared details of his condition via their fundraising page on GIVE.asia.
They described the boy, who is two-and-a-half years old, as a cheerful boy. However, he is now in KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) in Singapore to receive treatment for leukaemia.
Source: GIVE.asia
Symptoms of his disease first started showing about a year ago. As little Carlson grew older and learned how to climb and walk, he got bruises very easily.
Doctors in Indonesia suspected that he had Down Syndrome and a heart condition at first. Then, in June this year, his health began to deteriorate.
He suffered from a constant fever, flu, and bouts of coughing. Medicine did not improve his condition, his family stated.
His health worsened further towards the end of August. Taking his fever and diarrhoea into account, his family rushed him to the doctor.
This was when the doctor diagnosed Carlson with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow.
Leukaemia treatments in home country ‘inadequate’
Desperate to heal him, Carlson’s parents brought him to see several doctors in Indonesia.
However, there were multiple complications, and his family said that the treatments available in the country would be “inadequate” to cure him.
Source: GIVE.asia
In September this year, Carlson’s blood count dropped twice. His heart also could not support the weight of excess transfusions.
With no improvement in sight, Carlson’s condition gradually grew worse.
He started showing signs of respiratory distress and even lost consciousness due to a low oxygen level.
A doctor then advised his parents to bring Carlson to Singapore for treatment as quickly as possible.
On 2 Oct, Carlson was admitted to the isolation ward of KKH. Medical personnel then sent him to the High Care Unit (HCU) due to his respiratory distress.
The next day, they moved him to the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) for monitoring.
Unfortunately, doctors did not have good news, telling the family that he was “in bad shape” and that they needed to “act quickly”.
Indonesian family seeking donations for leukaemia treatment
Unfortunately, Carlson’s plight does not end there.
On 4 Oct, doctors told his family that the boy’s white blood cell count was rising, so he had to undergo chemotherapy that very night.
Source: GIVE.asia
Carlson’s parents are now facing another hurdle — having enough money for his medical fees.
His mother is currently not in Singapore as she is pregnant with his younger sister and in the midst of preparations for the birth.
Shortly after learning of Carlson’s sickness, his father received an offer for a job that requires him to travel.
As he needed to raise funds for his son’s treatment, the father accepted the position and is now overseas.
It’s estimated that Carlson’s total hospital bill will be S$300,000 as he will need to be warded for at least three months to complete multiple rounds of chemotherapy.
To help ease their financial burden, his family is now seeking donations via GIVE.asia.
“We are not giving up but we need your help,” they declared.
We pray and wish that there is someone out there who could help us with his medical bill, so that we can continue to fight.
Do give if you can
At the time of writing, kind members of the public have donated almost S$37,000.
If you’re able to and would like to do your part to help Carlson, simply click on this link. All proceeds will go directly to KKH for his medical bills.
We hope that the fundraising page will be able to meet its lofty goal soon so that Carlson can get the treatment that he needs. We wish the little fighter a speedy recovery.
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Featured image adapted from GIVE.asia.
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