Thursday, April 30, 2009

Mission: Life Saving, Update: Getting the Limelight

This is getting out of hand. While I enjoy that the awareness on organ donation increased, I do not really enjoy the focus on me donating the liver.

I MC-ed for a few events recently and in Ipoh, a few friends arranged that a reporter interviewed me. As I did great job in MC-ing, I thought the interview was on the MC skills. I didn't expect the interview focused on the organ donation. Is good after all, I thought, because it could help raise organ donation awareness.

So, the interview was done in Ipoh and I thought is still good to have the news on Perak Edition, at least we go awareness state by state. Why not? The surprise was yet to come.

The news was on the national edition and to awe me even more, it was captioned on the front page of Sin Chew Daily 29th April 2009 newspaper!

My friend claimed Sin Chew was best seller on that day. Not too sure of it. Haha... anyway, I do agree that the news bring about organ donation awareness but I am less comfortable that it focuses on me almost 100%.

Sms-es and calls poured in and the next day, An Qi's news was on the Local editions.

The links to the news:
Sin Chew Daily 29/4/2009
I don't know you but I want to save you... here



(See what laziness has done to these pictures.... lazy to even rotate the pictures!!!)

我不認識你但要救你!周虹伶捐肝給13歲女生

(霹靂‧怡保)吉隆坡蕉賴康樂花園一名13歲小女生,通過互聯網希望找到適合的肝臟進行移植。她去年六七月間被醫生診斷患上肝癌。醫生要求她家人為她進行肝臟移植手術。

周虹伶在互聯網看到這篇求助貼文,決定捐肝給這名小女生。

捐肝救人,需要很大的勇氣,尤其是對方非親非故,就更加難得,畢竟移植肝臟是大手術。

年輕的周虹伶充滿愛心,即使醫生診斷出她只有一個肝正常操作,她還是毅然捐出這個肝的60%來救一個13歲的小女生。

樂觀的周虹伶受到《星洲日報》訪問時,笑說自己身上的器官,很多都只是一半在操作,除了肝臟,也包括她的右耳殘障,只能靠左耳來聆聽。

“捐肝是一種緣份”

當初周虹伶有意捐肝時,父親表示贊成,上司也認為很有意義,但受到母親和身邊朋友反對,而令她內心起了掙扎。

後來一位朋友告訴她,捐肝是緣份,一旦自己作出決定,就不要再去理會其他事情;這番話,令她作出了捐肝的決定。

她表示,能夠捐肝給這名小女生,確是一種緣份;之前有許多人願意捐肝給這名小女生,但都不適合。

捐肝手術在她肚皮留下了一道14吋長的疤痕,但她不以為意,還笑說在身上留下一個“馬賽地”標誌(刀痕像馬賽地汽車標誌)。

捐肝讓離異父母重聚

這項手術,讓周虹伶承受了不少痛楚,但卻拉近了她和母親的關係,也令離婚20年的雙親再見面。

對她來說,這也許就是一種福報。

周虹伶說,父母在她4歲那年離婚,20多年來都沒碰面。每逢華人新年,父親把她載到怡保母親的家,放下後便離去。這一次,她的父母不但碰面,也一起拍照。

手術前“血拼”放鬆心情

周虹伶本來於1月2日在新加坡鷹閣醫院進行手術,當時血庫不夠血液,醫生決定延遲動手術;然而,她卻在1月12日那天病倒,結果手術延至1月14日進行。

周虹伶說:“手術前一天我有點緊張,但不能在13歲小女生面前表露出來;後來在醫生批准下,我獲得數小時和母親離開醫院去‘血拼´,那一刻,才真正讓心情鬆懈下來。

“手術前一天晚上,我還能很輕鬆地閱讀;反而是護士問我,是否需要安眠藥幫助入眠。”

“第二天,我被推進手術室,裡面冷得讓我得蓋上好幾層被子;因為沒有家人在旁跟我說笑,令我的心跳加速。”

周虹伶的緊張心情一直延續到手術台上。她問麻醉師,打麻醉針多久才入睡,對方說只需數到10。她數到10後仍清醒,忍不住問麻醉師,原來麻醉師還沒有為她注射麻醉藥。

移植肝臟手術進行了10至12小時,醒來那一刻,她因為難耐疼痛而得注射嗎啡,身上也插滿了管。

3天後轉入普通病房,物理治療師要她下床走路,她身上仍需掛著袋子;她走了不到20步,就已覺得頭暈眼花了。

兩度獲頒傑出獎

周虹伶活躍於許多組織,她於2006年獲得頒發雪州傑出青年獎(義工領域)。去年更獲得THE MAL AYSIA WOMEN´S WEEKLY雜誌頒發傑出女性獎(教育與公共服務領域)。

周虹伶在吉隆坡出生,但在安順姑媽的家長大,並在德修中小學受教育。中學畢業後在英華美學院考取資訊系統科學學士學位。

她在求學時受邀參與電視台BICARA SISWA清談節目而被相中,於2002年至2004年受邀主持《大馬早安》(SELAMAT PAGI MALAYSIA)節目。

她在13歲那年,便已簽字捐獻器官。成長後,她一直都在進行推廣捐獻器官工作。

目前,她是XEERSOFT有限公司助理執行人員,平日也受邀在一些活動擔任主持人。

捐肝人資料:
捐肝人:周虹伶,29歲,《大馬早安》前主持人。
身體狀況:只有一個肝正常操作,是一名“單肝人”;右耳殘缺,只能靠左耳來聆聽。
受惠人:一名13歲的小女生。

星洲日報‧獨家報導:黃丹芳‧2009.04.28
Sin Chew Daily 30/4/2009
Liver donation news receives hot feedback, Chew Hoong Ling promotes organ donation easier... here

捐肝救女生新聞曝光‧周虹伶:推廣捐器官更易

(Perak Edition) Five friends follow suit... here

周虹伶捐肝女生震撼人心‧5友人加入捐器官行列


(Metro Edition) Thank you for your liver... here

“謝謝你捐肝救我”‧李安祺好好活下去



The Star 30/4/2009
Ex-TV host donates liver to teenage girl... here

Thursday April 30, 2009

Ex-TV host donates liver to teenage girl
Other News & Views

A former television show host has donated part of her liver to a 13-year-old girl after she learnt about the girl’s plight on the Internet, Sin Chew Daily reported.

Chew Hoong Ling, 29, whose hearing is impaired in the left ear, donated 60% of her liver to the girl from Kuala Lumpur at a private hospital in Singapore on Jan 14.

The former Selamat Pagi Malaysia host said that initially her mother and friends objected to her intention to donate her organ.

“But a friend told me that once I have made up my mind (to donate), I should not consider too many other things,” she said.

--------------

Friday May 1, 2009

Other News & Views
Compiled by NG SI HOOI, NURBAITI HANIM HAMDAN AND A. RAMAN

>Sin Chew Daily reported that a 13-year-old liver recipient was thankful to her donor, a former television show host, for giving her a chance to live again. Li An Qi would be able to go back to school next month after undergoing the transplant in Singapore in Jan­uary.

Li’s mother said the family was grateful to Chew Hoong Ling for donating part of hers liver though she did not know her daughter.

Chew, 29, whose hearing is impaired in the left ear donated 60% of her liver after learning of Li’s plight on the Internet.

Since this is my blog to record this mission, I am compiling all the news here.

Even St. John Ambulance in Penang has active webmaster!
We salute you... here

We salute you, Ms. Chew Hoong Ling

Webmaster on 29-Apr-2009 18:53
We salute you, not only you are St. John Ambulance of Malaysia, National Staff Officer (Admin), but your kind and sincere in service for mankind!

Although it was few months back, again, Sin Chew Daily reported your kindness in today's newspaper.

Ms. Chew Hoong Ling donated 60% of her liver to a 13 years old girl who suffered from liver cancer, whom the girl has no relatives connection to her, the girl is totally a stranger to Ms. Chew.
Reported in the news, the girl who came from Cheras Kuala Lumpur, was looking for any potential liver transplant on internet. Ms.Chew who came across with the news online, decided to lend her a hand. It will required you to have a huge bravery when you wish to donate your organ to other people, furthermore, to someone unknown to you. But, Ms. Chew did it.

Today, a life of a 13 years old girl has been saved because of your great kindness and bravery. You make us proud, as a volunteer of St. John Ambulance of Malaysia (SJAM), you demonstrate the greatest in service for mankind.


Updated: Reader's View on Sin Chew Daily... here

無私的大愛精神

“吉隆坡蕉賴康樂花園一名13歲小女生,希望找到適合的肝臟進行移植。她去年六七月間被醫生診斷患上肝癌。醫生要求她家人為她進行肝臟移植手術。”

周虹伶看到這篇求助的文,決定捐肝給這名小女生。

4月29日從星洲日報閱讀到這則新聞,令我非常感動,原因是:

一、周虹伶與小女孩非親非故,卻願意冒著性命危險,將肝臟的60%捐給對方。記得不久前,曾有一位婦女向家人求救捐獻器官,結果家人都以各種藉口加以拒絕。相比之下,令人覺得周虹伶那無私精神的偉大。

二、花樣年華的周虹伶,有好看的外表,活躍於社團活動,於2002年至2004年受邀主持《大馬早安》節目;相信她也是一位追求完美人生的女性。捐肝手術在她的肚皮留下一道14寸長的疤痕;然而,她並未因此感到後悔,令人更加欽仰她的內在美。

星洲日報向來注重“導人向善”的新聞報導,周虹伶的大愛精神,讓人對生存的意義有所領悟,有助消除近日來因為豬流感新聞所帶來的壓抑感受。

星洲日報/溝通平台‧讀者:陳忠光‧2009.05.01

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