HEART PATIENT CONQUERS MOUNT KINABALU WITH CHILD IN TOW

By Mohd Afiq Zulkifli

KUALA LUMPUR, July 13 (Bernama) -- Heart patient Amanda Omeychua did not allow her condition to stop her from conquering Malaysia’s highest peak Mount Kinabalu recently, with her two-and-a-half-year-old son in tow.

During the two-day, one-night climb up the 4,095-metre peak, Amanda, 30, took turns with her husband, Muhammad Hafizuddin Mustapa, 31, to carry Muhammad Noah Rizqullah, who weighs 25 kilogrammes, in a backpack along with the necessary gear.

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Sharing her story with Bernama, Amanda, who is from Kudat, Sabah, said she wanted to create as many memories as possible with her son before undergoing her second heart surgery.

Diagnosed with two leaky heart valves at the age of 14, she underwent her first surgery to replace the faulty valves with plastic valves in 2020.

"As a patient with leaky heart valves, I was not allowed to get pregnant with such a heart condition. So, since we wanted to have our own child, I underwent surgery to insert the replacement valves that can last for 10 years," she said. 

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She said after the birth of Noah Rizqullah in 2021, she was told she would have to undergo another surgery to replace the plastic valves with mechanical ones.

“If I had opted for the mechanical valves in the first surgery, I wouldn't have been able to get pregnant because I would need to take warfarin (a blood thinner) daily," she said.

Amanda, who is also a tour guide, said her doctor informed her that after the second surgery, she could still engage in strenuous activities, including hiking. However, she was advised to make a full recovery from the operation before engaging in any strenuous activity.

Regarding her experience climbing Mount Kinabalu with her son, Amanda said she had no issues because she has been actively hiking for over 10 years and has conquered almost all the mountains in Malaysia. She has also trekked to Annapurna Base Camp and Everest Base Camp in Nepal several times.

Her son, she added, is “rather familiar with mountain climbing” as she took him along with her when she climbed Mount Angsi in Negeri Sembilan and Mount Merbabu in Java, Indonesia, earlier.

Describing their Mount Kinabalu experience, Amanda said their ascent started at the entry point at Timpohon Gate. 

“We stopped at Laban Rata for an overnight stay, and our ‘summit attack’ started early next morning, and later we proceeded to climb downhill, following which we immediately conducted a health check on our son. Everything was fine,” she added.

She said little Noah Rizqullah did not fuss or cry much during the expedition. In fact, he enjoyed being carried in a backpack and even encouraged his parents to keep walking whenever they made brief stops to ensure he was safe. 

However, Amanda advised other parents not to bring their young children along on their mountain climbing activities if “they are not mentally and physically prepared”.

-- BERNAMA