PETALING JAYA: For years, Cheong Chee Seng kept trying to find a way forward. He worked as a hairstylist, later opened a bak kut teh business of his own, and - when that venture failed and left him in debt - started driving for Grab to keep earning.
Life had not gone quite according to plan, but at 37, he was still working and, above all, still hoping to spare his ageing parents from having to worry about him.
Then, one afternoon, everything changed. Cheong had returned home during a break to help his father move some things when his left leg suddenly became numb and weak.
He initially sat down, assuming the sensation would pass, but the leg became progressively harder to move.
His 80-year-old father rushed him to hospital, where the seriousness of his condition quickly became apparent: Cheong’s leg was badly swollen, cold to the touch, and turning purplish-blue.
Doctors found extensive deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in the leg. More worryingly, the clots had extended into the inferior vena cava - one of the body’s major veins - and travelled to both lungs, causing pulmonary embolism, a potentially life-threatening blockage of the pulmonary arteries.
Further investigations brought another blow. Doctors detected a mass measuring about 6-7cm in Cheong’s left testicle, while a CT scan revealed a much larger mass, nearly 15cm across, deep within his abdomen and surrounding several major blood vessels.
His medical team strongly suspects a malignant testicular tumour that may have spread to lymph nodes in the abdomen, although further investigations, including tumour-marker tests and an oncology assessment, are still needed to confirm the diagnosis and determine treatment.
For Cheong and his parents, the news arrived with bewildering speed. His mother broke down when she learnt how serious his condition was.
"If my financial circumstances were good, I could pay, I could help, I could even go bankrupt. But I can't; I really don't have the capability," she shared in a video.
"I only have this one son. I'm 77, his dad is nearly 80. We are so old. Seeing someone as young as him suddenly get such serious diagnoses... we can only silently feel sad. My heart is hurting."
Now it is his elderly parents who are beside him, anxious not only about whether he will recover but also about how the family will afford what comes next.
“If I can recover, the one thing I want most is to stop making my elderly parents worry about me,” Cheong said.
A RM40,000 hurdle
As the blood clots have reached his lungs, doctors are assessing whether Cheong is suitable for treatment using a specialised FlowTriever thrombectomy device.
The catheter-based system is designed to remove blood clots from the pulmonary arteries by mechanical aspiration. The device alone is estimated to cost RM40,000, excluding other hospital expenses and the overall cost of the procedure.
Sadly, that figure is far beyond what Cheong and his parents can manage after years of financial struggle.
They now have the help of Persatuan Kebajikan Sayap Kasih Malaysia (previously iq70plus), a non-profit organisation that supports the needy and underprivileged in urgent medical need.
The organisation is hoping to raise RM40,000 to obtain the device, subject to Cheong being assessed as medically suitable for the procedure. As of Oct 19, about RM4,000 had been raised.
For his parents, the money represents something considerably larger than a piece of medical equipment. It is the possibility that their son may get through the most immediate danger and live long enough to face whatever treatment may follow.
Cheong’s illness has interrupted a life already marked by setbacks, but his wish now is strikingly simple: he wants to recover, return home, and ease the burden on the two people who have spent the past few weeks watching over him.
For a man who once worked long hours simply to stay afloat, recovery may mean beginning again from an even harder place. Yet for his parents, just having that chance would be enough.
If you wish to help, contributions can be made directly to Persatuan Kebajikan Sayap Kasih Malaysia, Ambank account 8881 0609 91545. Please reference ‘CASE 84’ in your transactions.
Email a copy of your receipt to beniq70plus@gmail.com, or send it via WhatsApp to Ben Wong at 010-238 7072.
For further information, visit Persatuan Kebajikan Sayap Kasih Malaysia’s Facebook profile.
Persatuan Kebajikan Sayap Kasih Malaysia
118 & 120 Jalan Gasing,
46000 Petaling Jaya, Selangor