PETALING JAYA: At 18, Khalisah Damia Abd Kadim, known as Leesya, weighs just 14kg and is bedridden due to cerebral palsy.
Unlike other teenagers her age, Leesya is unable to walk or crawl and can utter only two words: "ayah" (father) and "ibu" (mother).
She also has scoliosis, a condition involving an abnormal curvature of the spine.
Her mother, Siti Robaah Mohd Munaf, 56, said Leesya, the youngest of six siblings, had appeared healthy at birth.
"Everything changed when Leesya developed jaundice, with her bilirubin levels rising sharply on the fifth day after she was born.
"My husband and I took her to a clinic, where the doctor gave us a referral letter and asked us to take her to hospital.
"Following further examinations, doctors suspected that Leesya had cerebral palsy, and she was subsequently registered as a person with disabilities under the physical disability category," she said when met at her home in Kampung Lindungan here.
Siti Robaah admitted that she initially struggled to accept her daughter's condition, having hoped that Leesya would grow up without health problems.
"It took me some time to come to terms with what had happened. I cried, but eventually accepted it because I believe this is what God has decreed.
"Since Leesya was born, I have never heard anyone say anything hurtful about her. Everyone, including our relatives and close friends, has accepted her.
"However, Leesya is not like other teenagers her age. Many people think she is still a baby or a young child because of her small frame. Her growth began slowing down and appeared to become stunted when she was 13," she said.
Siti Robaah, a housewife, said she spent most of her time caring for Leesya and attending to her daily needs.
"My daily routine involves giving Leesya special formula milk every four hours, six times a day.
"I also have to put her on breathing support and help remove mucus from her airways using a machine at home.
"Caring for a child like this requires a great deal of patience because when Leesya becomes distressed, she vomits. She has also been admitted to hospital many times, usually because of fever or infections," she said.
Siti Robaah, who is also a stroke survivor, said she would continue caring for her daughter for as long as she lived.
"I have already reminded my husband and other children to look after Leesya if I pass away before her," she said.
Meanwhile, Leesya's brother, Mohamad Zamrin Abd Kadim, 23, who is pursuing a bachelor's degree in Computer Software Engineering in Multimedia at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, said he helped care for his sister whenever he had free time despite undergoing industrial training.
"At first, I did not really understand her condition, but as I grew older, I began to understand and realise my responsibilities.
"Whatever happens, I will take turns caring for my sister because I will never leave her alone," he said.
Mohamad Zamrin has also worked as a delivery rider for the past three years to help pay his university fees and ease his family's financial burden.
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