Kelantan couple struggle to afford sick son's special milk, resort to rice water [WATCH]

PASIR MAS: A couple in Kampung Kenjing, Repek, have seen their lives change drastically after their only child became bedridden four years ago due to brain damage caused by seizures.

Siti Noor Mastubaidura Ariffin, 36, said she had been running a small grocery business but was forced to close it to care for her 12-year-old son, Muhammad Aiman Mohamed, who requires constant attention.

"Since then, our family of three has depended on my husband, Rilhafizi Mohamad Zukhri, 44, who works as a labourer earning between RM50 and RM60 a day, depending on the jobs available.

"I prioritise spending his earnings on Muhammad Aiman's needs, including milk, disposable diapers and other care supplies.

"Sometimes, when we do not have enough money to buy his necessities, I have to put aside my pride and borrow money from my husband's employer and close relatives," she said when met at their rented home here.

The family was recently visited by the Social Welfare and Volunteer Club (KELSS), led by its Media and Communications Unit head Akidi Hamid, which provided cash assistance, disposable diapers and milk to help ease their financial burden.

Siti Noor Mastubaidura said Muhammad Aiman suffered four seizures within two months when he was eight, resulting in brain damage due to an infection.

"We spent two months at Hospital Raja Perempuan Zainab II (HRPZ II), including a month in the intensive care unit, before Muhammad Aiman was allowed to return home," she said.

She said a box of specialised milk costing RM280 lasted only six days.

When money was particularly tight, she had to mix the specialised milk with regular milk and, at times, use rice water as a substitute.

"The RM500 monthly assistance from the Social Welfare Department is insufficient to cover Muhammad Aiman's needs, particularly his specialised milk, which costs at least RM1,200 a month.

"I use the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) assistance to buy disposable diapers, which helps reduce our household expenses to some extent," she said.

She added that Muhammad Aiman required oxygen around the clock, forcing the family to rent an oxygen tank at a cost of RM7 a month.