The lockdowns have been hard on everyone but they are especially tough for those who are living in poverty.
In a post by Seputeh MP Teresa Kok, she shared the heartbreaking story of Latif, a paralysed teen who had his wheelchair stolen.
Paralysed since he was 9-months-old
Latif is a 13-year-old teen who has seizures and has been paralysed ever since he was nine months old. He has trouble swallowing hard food and is only able to drink a special milk formula. He also needs to use diapers. The teen goes for monthly checkups at the Sungai Buloh hospital.
Family struggling to afford Latif’s medical expenses
He lives in a People’s Housing Project (PPR) as his father is a contractor while his mother is a contract cleaner under DBKL. With this ongoing MCO, Latif’s parents are severely affected as it costs a lot to sustain Latif.
Parents brought to tears after gifted a new wheelchair
When the Seputeh MP went to visit Latif’s house, she was told by the teen’s mother that his special wheelchair was stolen about a year back. After getting all the information, Teresa Kok then proceeded to get supplies and a new wheelchair that met the teen’s specific needs.
“When I got to Latif’s house, he was lying on the mattress on the floor but he was happy to see me.”
“I told him that I brought him milk and diapers and he smiled in return.”
The teen’s parents cried tears of joy when they saw a new wheelchair as they had been pleading to multiple parties for a year now. Other than that, the MP also sent the family a food basket.
We’re so happy that Latif finally has a new wheelchair. Although this is only a temporary solution, we’re grateful that the MP gave some supplies to the family to sustain them during this dreadful period. We hope that more sustainable actions can be taken by the government so that the people will not have to suffer.
Also read: JPJ Staff Use Own Money To Buy Food & Hand It Out To The Homeless In Terengganu
