Daily routine: Kalaiselvi has to make sure Lingeshwaran take medicine for his kidney problems on time each day. — THOMAS YONG/The Star
KULAI: A family of 10 currently struggling to make ends meet was struck by disaster when their four-year-old boy was diagnosed with a kidney problem and now requires constant care and treatment.
Housewife Kalaiselvi, 34, said her son R. Lingeshwaran was a healthy child until his entire body swelled up suddenly in October 2023.
“We rushed him to Hospital Kulai, where doctors told us his kidney has a hole, which causes protein to leak into his urine. It also makes it difficult for his body to remove excess fluid.
“He has since been on daily medication, taking eight pills a day to manage his condition,” the mother of eight said when met at their home in Flat Temenggong here.
Lingeshwaran’s health took a turn for the worse late last month after he had missed medical appointments. This led to him being hospitalised for 15 days at Hospital Sultanah Aminah in Johor Baru.
“We have no transportation, so getting to the hospital for check-ups is a struggle.
“We rely on the public bus or borrow a neighbour’s car when we can, but it is troublesome to depend on others,” she added.
Her husband, S. Ravindran, 37, is the family’s sole breadwinner, working as a contract factory worker earning a daily wage of RM65.
“When our son was hospitalised, my husband had to stop working temporarily to stay by his side at the hospital while I took care of our seven other children at home,” said Kalaiselvi.
Now that Lingeshwaran has been discharged, Ravindran has returned to work but he often has to take leave for his son’s hospital visits, which could be up to four times a month.
Kalaiselvi tries to keep household expenses low by cooking at home and preparing separate dishes for Lingeshwaran, who cannot consume salt.
“Besides making sure he takes his medication on time, I also have to monitor his protein levels with urine tests at home,” she added.
Despite their struggles, Kalaiselvi said her family is thankful for the RM1,000 monthly aid from the Social Welfare Department, which helps them get by.
She is also grateful to the flat’s Rukun Tetangga committee for highlighting their plight to Senai assemblyman Wong Bor Yang, who provided them with financial aid and items such as diapers and formula milk last week.
“Five of my children are in school, which takes up the bulk of our expenses. We are also behind on our rent as it was recently increased to RM500 a month.
“I just want my son’s health to improve. I also always remind my children to study hard so that they can find good jobs and change their life for the better,” said Kalaiselvi.
