Sarawak Couple Seek Donations For Daughter's Leukaemia Battle

KUALA LUMPUR, April 5 (Bernama) -- A couple from Limbang, Sarawak, are pinning their hopes on the generosity of the public to see their eldest daughter healthy again after she was diagnosed with blood cancer in October 2024.

Nurul Fithriyani Mahrip, 31, has Relapsed/Refractory B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (R/R B-ALL), an aggressive form of blood cancer that needs intensive treatment and comes with high medical costs.

Her mother, Sarimah Mingai, 55, said that since her daughter fell ill, the family’s life has been increasingly strained, both emotionally and financially.

"The medical costs we have to bear are very high, and we can no longer afford them on our own," she told Bernama.

According to Sarimah, they require RM460,000 to enable Nurul to undergo further treatment, including Inotuzumab Ozogamicin immunotherapy and innovative CAR-T Cell therapy.

Since Nurul’s diagnosis, Sarimah and her husband have left their home in Limbang and are now staying here so they can be with her during treatment at the University of Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC).

"We are renting a house here to be closer to the hospital. In Limbang, we only run a small restaurant, and what we earn is not enough to pay for the medical costs, which have now reached hundreds of thousands of ringgit," she said.

She added that Nurul underwent a bone marrow transplant before, but the cancer returned just three months after the procedure.

So far, Nurul has had several treatments, including Idarubicin chemotherapy and a mix of Venetoclax, Bortezomib, and Vincristine treatment, but she still needs more help because the cancer cells are still active.

Sarimah hopes that public donations can help ease the financial burden her family is facing.

Members of the public who wish to assist can channel their donations to Nurul’s father, Mahrip Onga, via RHB Bank account 1612 8000 0002 08 or contact Sarimah at 019-835 7273.

The family’s plight caught the attention of Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, who visited Nurul Fithriyani and offered support to her parents and husband, Mohd Taufiq Abd Rahim.

"My thanks to the UMMC Director and Consultant Specialist Prof Dr Zulkifle Abu Bakar, who was also present to explain the treatment being provided to Nurul.

"Let us together pray that this family continues to be granted strength and perseverance by Allah SWT in facing this trial. May all medical matters and Nurul's treatment be eased, and may she be granted healing by Allah SWT," he said in a Facebook post yesterday.

He also thanked the doctors and nurses for their dedication and hard work in caring for all patients at any hour.

-- BERNAMA