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Mother longs to hear son's voice after year of silence due to medical procedures
🇲🇾 Malaysia /Health & Science

Mother longs to hear son's voice after year of silence due to medical procedures

From Utusan Malaysia · () Malay

Translated from Malay, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • A mother is desperately hoping to hear her two-year-old son, Muhammad Nuh Alfateh, cry or laugh again after he lost his voice due to serious respiratory issues.
  • The child, born prematurely and with Down syndrome, has undergone multiple intubations and a tracheostomy, leaving him unable to vocalize.
  • The family is seeking financial assistance to help care for Nuh, who requires constant attention.

Siti Nur Najwa Zamrifaizal, a 23-year-old mother from Kampung Balok, Kuantan, shares a profound longing to hear her son's voice again. Her second child, Muhammad Nuh Alfateh, who is two years old, has not cried or laughed in a year following several intubations and a tracheostomy procedure due to severe respiratory problems.

Muhammad Nuh Alfateh, affectionately known as Nuh, was born prematurely at 34 weeks and diagnosed with Down syndrome. Further complications included the absence of an anus, a hole in his heart, laryngomalacia, and lung issues. Early in his life, he underwent a procedure to create a stoma for waste elimination via a stoma bag.

I just want to hear his voice crying and laughing again.

— Siti Nur Najwa ZamrifaizalExpressing her deep longing to hear her son vocalize after a year of silence due to medical procedures.

Nuh spent approximately five months in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) before being discharged. However, he was readmitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) just 20 days later due to a lung infection and breathing difficulties. During his time in PICU, he experienced critical episodes, including five to six intubations. The final intubation led to a tracheostomy due to his precarious respiratory condition. Over a seven-to-eight-month period, Nuh required Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) four times.

The most heartbreaking thing for me is the change in Muhammad Nuh Alfateh's voice after the intubation and tracheostomy process.

— Siti Nur Najwa ZamrifaizalDescribing the emotional impact of her son losing his voice.

"The most heartbreaking thing for me is the change in Muhammad Nuh Alfateh's voice after the intubation and tracheostomy process," Siti Nur Najwa recounted. "He used to have a voice, but after intubation, it disappeared. Even when he cries now, there's no sound. I haven't heard him cry for a year. I miss hearing his voice so much."

Siti Nur Najwa is now a full-time caregiver for Nuh, while her husband, Abdullah Hashim, works as a fish seller. The family is appealing for donations to support Nuh's care, with contributions accepted via Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) account number 0699541000311601 under the name Siti Nur Najwa Zamrifaizal.

He used to have a voice, but after intubation, it disappeared. Even when he cries now, there's no sound. I haven't heard him cry for a year. I miss hearing his voice so much.

— Siti Nur Najwa ZamrifaizalDetailing the extent of her son's vocal loss and her personal distress.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Utusan Malaysia in Malay. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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