ISKANDAR PUTERI - A father's greatest wish for this Christmas is a cure for his two children stricken with Thalassemia Major so than they can live a normal life like other children.
Samsen Thomas, 37, said the disease has stricken Shiezell, 12, his eldest son and daughter Jolie Avril Alvira, 10, who has lived with the inherited blood disorder since she was about one year old.
He said Jolie underwent a bone marrow transplant earlier this year with his youngest son Seanbester, 8, who only has Thalassemia Minor (who is a carrier of faulty gene, from one parent, without symptoms) as the donor.
"But until now, Shiezell has no matching stem cell donor in the family and may have to rely on continuous blood transfusions or until a suitable donor is found.
"...with the coming Christmas celebration, my wife and I just want our son and daughter to be healthy and be able to live a normal life like other children," he said at Legoland Hotel here recently.
Samsen said due to their health condition, Shiezell and Jolie have to undergo regular follow-up treatment at a government hospital in Johor Bahru almost every month.
''Jolie has also recently undergone chemotherapy and will have to be monitored for a year, so I really hope that her health will improve and she can go to school as usual,'' he said.
Samsen, who works as a lorry driver in a company and has been a resident in Johor for the past 17 years, said the family is not returning to Keningau in Sabah for Christmas this year due to his son's fragile health and the costly flight tickets.
According to him, the last time he and his wife Julitah Korom, 35, and children returned to their hometown was in 2019.
''But our Christmas celebration is still lively because three of my siblings also live in Johor, so we usually celebrate it together,'' said Samsen, explaining that he needs to foot the entire cost of about RM4,000 if they are to celebrate Christmas in Sabah.
Meanwhile, Shiezell, who attends school at Sekolah Kebangsaan Skudai Batu 10, aspires to become a policeman one day and make his dedicated parents happy.
''Studying at school is fun, especially when studying Malay and English subjects. These are my favourite. When I grow up, I want to be a policeman, my younger brother (Seanbester) too (wants to be a policeman),'' he said.
Earlier, Petronas through Petronas Southern Region made Shiezell's wish come true, by bringing his family to Legoland Malaysia Resort in conjunction with the Christmas celebration.
Through the Petronas 50 Dreams Uplifting Lives programme, the Thomas family also had the opportunity to stay at the Legoland Hotel, enter the theme park, visit SEA LIFE and enjoy a Christmas dinner.
Petronas also renovated the rooms and living room of their house above the shop that the family rented in Skudai, in addition to donating electrical and kitchen appliances, furniture, study tables, clothes, school equipment, laptops and groceries. - BERNAMA