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1. •  
     CommentAuthorPANERAI (CommentTimeApr 6th 2008 edited)

    
   My fellow makan kakis,
   
   Just saw this on asia1.com..... and hope readers here will chip in to help this poor little baby and his family :
   
   http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Malaysia/Story/A1Story20080405-58191.html
   
   
   KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - At 36 days old, S. Sharana Kumar has already had one major operation to save his life. The 2.6kg infant was born with a hole in the heart and a disconnection of the blood vessels to his lungs. Yesterday he had the surgery to connect the blood vessels to the lungs at Gleneagles Medical Centre.
   
   And in the next six months, depending on his progress, he will need another operation to correct the hole in the heart.
   
   His mother S. Manimegalai said Sharana's medical problems were diagnosed three days after he was born.
   
   "Sharana's body and feet turned blue after a feed," said the 24-year-old housewife.
   
   Her 27-year-old husband G. Sabarimuthu is a mechanic. He supports his family on RM1,200 a month, and the couple cannot afford the RM15,000 surgery their son needs to survive.
   
   If you wish to help, you may send a cheque payable to New Straits Times with Sharana Kumar's name written on the back. Send it to The Cashier, Finance Department/Charity Unit, The New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd, Balai Berita, 31 Jalan Riong, 59100 Kuala Lumpur.
   
   
   I will be sending a donation early next week to help alleviate their financial burden. Thanks for reading and your generosity in advance. God bless

   Jon Wan
2. •  
     CommentAuthorRatatouille (CommentTimeApr 6th 2008)

    
   i applaud u
   
   
3. •  
     CommentAuthorPANERAI (CommentTimeApr 6th 2008)

    
   Ratatouille....seriously this baby needs our help....I'm just doing my part....I feel really sad reading the plight of this baby having such misfortune at a young age. Pls spread the word around and help this poor soul. Your assistance will be appreciated. Thanks
4. •  
     CommentAuthorJon Wan (CommentTimeApr 7th 2008)

    
   good post bro Pan
5. •  
     CommentAuthorPANERAI (CommentTimeApr 7th 2008)

    
   JW....I hope you can spread the word around and send your friends this link. This baby is so pitiful. I think we should all chip in no matter how big or small to help him. His suvival depends on this, and other future operations..... which unfortunately is beyond the financial capability of his family. The least we can do is chip in whatever we can. Thanks for reading JW : )
6. •  
     CommentAuthorpicky gourmet (CommentTimeApr 7th 2008)

    
   I had to ponder a while before writing this comment because it is rather controversial. On a personaly stand point, I feel that we are constantly "targets" for donations from foreigners because Singaporeans have the $$ and a good heart to go with it.
   
   The parents of Huang Na tooks hundreds of thousand of "peh kim" from well wishers back to China to have to jolly good rest of their lives and I personally don't even know for sure if the parents play no malicious part in this whole deal....but thats another story for contention. The point is, we are giving to foreigners and are these donations appreciated or they treat us as "money tree" to shake down? The money given benefited the dead little girl Huang Na in any way? Do we really want to benefit the parents to such extend?
   
   Every time some foreigner need help they "advertise" in Singapore papers and we all chip in like we are great philantrophists but how many of us actually take a concerted effort to look out for locals in need to help? Are the poor kids in Singapore with heart in hole not worth helping? How often do we hear about the Singaporean cases? Don't tell me there aren't any needy Singaporeans that need medical help cos I don't buy that. There are no well off people in those foreign countries to help their own - don't buy that as well. The only difference is, these plight of Singaporeans are not broadcast so no one knows.... If we even take some time to care about our neighbours and needy in our neighbourhood instead of rushing to the aid of foreigners I think we have a much better society ourselves.
   
   Don't get me wrong, especially brother panerai ( i know you have a good heart and you are sincere about this), I am not being callous or targeting anyone. I just feel that Singaporeans are often more enthusiastic to help foreigners than our our own.... I have vistited small old folks home where they hardly get any visitors/volunteers in a year but we give millions to foreigners like siamese twins needing to seperate, little girl gets murdered, poor foreign kid with incurable ailments....etc.
   
   Maybe I am misinformed or maybe I am clueless...but sometimes I just feel in conflict with myself that we answer foreign calls for help and when it comes to the more important daily help we just zoned out.... Its like we only celebrate mothers day because it is a big publicized occassion....what about all the other days when mother slogs for us? I tend to think mothers will be happier if we appreciate them daily in small ways rather than once a year in a big way.... same when it comes to doing social work...
   
   just my 2 cents ...flame away if you must...

   SCdreamer
7. •  
     CommentAuthorPANERAI (CommentTimeApr 7th 2008)

    
   PG....I know what u are trying to highlight....but thru my own gut feeling...this is a genuine case....hey....even in the worst scenario that myself and others been fleeced.....well...we've done our part to help a fellow human being who's in dire need...
   
   And FYI.....I do try and help those who are left all alone in the old folks home from time to time....have even been there giving out gifts, and help clean up their rooms and surroundings before.
   
   Old chinese saying...." have $ help with $...have strength....help with strength ".....as long as we've done our part, don't bother whether you've been fleeced or not....coz we've done our part to help the less fortunate live alittle better.

   cloudgal, picky gourmet
8. •  
     CommentAuthorpicky gourmet (CommentTimeApr 7th 2008)

    
   i know where you are coming from =) bro did not doubt your sincerity
9. •  
     CommentAuthorJon Wan (CommentTimeApr 7th 2008)

    

   Posted By: picky gourmeti know where you are coming from =) bro did not doubt your sincerity

   mai ani kuan lah bro...karma leh
10. •  
      CommentAuthorPANERAI (CommentTimeApr 8th 2008 edited)

     
    No worries PG...I'm aware of those doubts...not just yourself....In the past....I used to have some doubts like u too....but then again....we try to help those who genuinely needs help. To me, if I have to eat a less expensive meal to help someone in need, I will do so.....likewise, I hope you and others can reach out, and help the less fortunate...especially the genuine cases.....this "hole in heart baby" is one example.....if his parents are not that desperate....dun think the press will even bother to highlight their plight in the first place...
11. •  
      CommentAuthorcaniggia (CommentTimeApr 8th 2008)

     
    not that i'm heartless or anything cynical, bt i think sometimes life is just too fragile n unpredictable. circumstances can sometimes really be gut wrenching. given the kid's condition as such, much as i'd hope for the best... sadly, the medical expenses will be a domino effect on the many yrs/ decades that follow.
    
    so we ask, which is more humane?
    1. save the kid, but the kid will never be normal/independant... or
    2. to put the kid out of misery from this cruel world?
12. •  
      CommentAuthorAleus (CommentTimeApr 16th 2008)

     
    As much as I sympathise with the said boy....there are many needy Singaporeans who require help. They might not all have drastic situations like a hole in the heart but they are obviously not getting enough aid to get by......
    
    Just like PG pointed out about the Huang Na case....was so much valid for that? Or in the case where pple were jumping off MRT tracks, it became sorta a trend esp once reported. Not being heartless but sometimes pple exploit news (esp Newpaper) to solicit donations. Now I am not saying they are undeserving... but just rem at the same time there are a lot of needy pple in Singapore too :)