A 45-year-old technician has died from acute liver failure, slightly less than two weeks after he was admitted to hospital complaining of pain and vomiting.
Source: Shin Min Daily News via China Press
The deceased, Mr Li Xianli (name transliterated from Mandarin), started throwing up and having diarrhoea on 12 Dec last year, Shin Min Daily News first reported last week.
Though he still went to work despite his condition, his appetite wasn’t very good, said his wife, a 38-year-old manager named only as Ms Huang.
When he couldn’t take it any more, he sought treatment at Sengkang General Hospital (SKGH) on 22 Dec.
Source: Google Maps
After noting that Mr Li’s blood test results were abnormal, more tests were carried out.
He was eventually diagnosed with acute liver failure due to a viral infection caused by hepatitis B.
Mr Li was transferred to Singapore General Hospital (SGH) on Christmas Eve (24 Dec).
On Christmas Day (25 Dec), he fell into a semi-coma, according to Shin Min.
Source: Shin Min Daily News on Facebook
After Ms Huang posted an appeal for liver donors online, she received replies from two people on Monday (1 Jan).
They quickly went for a blood test but found that they were unsuitable donors as their blood didn’t match her husband’s.
On Tuesday (2 Jan), two other people contacted her to donate their livers.
They went for blood tests, too, and were waiting for the results when things took a turn for the worse.
On Tuesday, after the effects of the anaesthesia wore off, Mr Li developed symptoms of cerebral epilepsy due to liver damage, Ms Huang said.
The internal swelling in his brain made him unsuitable for a liver transplant, the doctor said.
On Wednesday (3 Jan), Mr Li’s condition worsened further, and the doctor recommended that they disconnect him from life support.
Ms Huang and other family members discussed what to do and came to a tough and tearful decision — the longer he’s kept alive, the longer he will be in pain.
Thus, they would disconnect him from life support, she said, adding:
When he could still receive a liver transplant, we still held out hope daily. But we learnt that a transplant wasn’t possible any more, we collapsed and come to this decision.
Mr Li’s tube was disconnected at 7.15pm on Wednesday, and he passed away peacefully about 15 minutes later without waking from his coma.
Ms Huang and other family members weren’t in the room as they couldn’t bear to see him struggling.
The couple has two daughters aged four and seven, who now have only her as their source of support, Ms Huang said.
She added that she will have to stay strong and carry on for them.
The girls were never taken to visit their father in the hospital as the family was afraid they would get scared.
They only saw Mr Li via video calls, and were unable to see him one last time before his passing, their mother said.
Ms Huang said about 50 people in total came forward to be liver donors.
They included people from all walks of life — even those in their 50s who didn’t realise their health condition made them unsuitable donors.
There were also some from Malaysia, she claimed.
Though they were ultimately unable to donate, she’s grateful to them. She was also surprised and touched by the outpouring of support from members of the public, she added.
Also read: S’pore Stray Animal Rescuer In ICU With Acute Liver Failure, Needs Donors Urgently
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Featured image adapted from Shin Min Daily News via China Press and Shin Min Daily News on Facebook.
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