FMT:
Amanda’s smile, a father’s relief
6 hours ago
Frankie D'Cruz
For Dominic Damian, her teasing and chatter mean more than any medical chart
Dominic Damian with his daughter Amanda Mei Chu on Aug 27, the day she was admitted to Sungai Buloh Hospital for long-awaited HIV treatment.
PETALING JAYA: For the first time in years, Amanda Mei Chu is smiling more, talking more, and even walking a little in the hospital ward.
Her father, Dominic Damian, says the difference is striking. “She is able to accept the crazy teasing,” he laughed.
“Her face shows no stress or strain. It is like a weight has been lifted.”
The 29-year-old, born with HIV and abandoned as a baby, had her treatment cut off in 2017 after she was told she was not a Malaysian citizen.
For eight years, her health faltered and her family lived in fear of what tomorrow might bring.
But after she was admitted to Sungai Buloh Hospital last week — following overwhelming public support sparked by an FMT report — Amanda is finally being examined and cared for again.
Her father says the medical tests show how close the call has been.
Her haemoglobin and CD4 counts are “haywire,” her thyroid function is compromised, and a growth at the base of her skull remains.
A CD4 count measures the white blood cells that help fight infection, the key marker of how strong the immune system is.
“Going by the prognosis, we got her in on time,” Damian said. “The timing was perfect.”
Yet, there are small but hopeful signs. Amanda’s weight has gone up from 22kg to 24kg.
She now does gentle exercises in bed, with short walks in the ward under her father’s watch.
“She is still frail, but she’s fighting,” Damian said. “Even her chatter is back, and that means so much to us.”
He remains grateful to the Malaysian AIDS Council, the Malaysian AIDS Foundation, the health ministry, and to Malaysians who rallied behind his daughter.
“I am deeply touched. Strangers, kids, church members, all came forward. That support carried us to this point.”
Amanda, he says, cannot reclaim the lost years. But with her spirit restored and her treatment resuming, she is daring to look ahead.
Her father, Dominic Damian, says the difference is striking. “She is able to accept the crazy teasing,” he laughed.
“Her face shows no stress or strain. It is like a weight has been lifted.”
The 29-year-old, born with HIV and abandoned as a baby, had her treatment cut off in 2017 after she was told she was not a Malaysian citizen.
For eight years, her health faltered and her family lived in fear of what tomorrow might bring.
But after she was admitted to Sungai Buloh Hospital last week — following overwhelming public support sparked by an FMT report — Amanda is finally being examined and cared for again.
Her father says the medical tests show how close the call has been.
Her haemoglobin and CD4 counts are “haywire,” her thyroid function is compromised, and a growth at the base of her skull remains.
A CD4 count measures the white blood cells that help fight infection, the key marker of how strong the immune system is.
“Going by the prognosis, we got her in on time,” Damian said. “The timing was perfect.”
Yet, there are small but hopeful signs. Amanda’s weight has gone up from 22kg to 24kg.
She now does gentle exercises in bed, with short walks in the ward under her father’s watch.
“She is still frail, but she’s fighting,” Damian said. “Even her chatter is back, and that means so much to us.”
He remains grateful to the Malaysian AIDS Council, the Malaysian AIDS Foundation, the health ministry, and to Malaysians who rallied behind his daughter.
“I am deeply touched. Strangers, kids, church members, all came forward. That support carried us to this point.”
Amanda, he says, cannot reclaim the lost years. But with her spirit restored and her treatment resuming, she is daring to look ahead.
***
Best Merdeka news - Malaysia still has sense of humanity 💓💓💓
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