Medical support for 6 Year old Feldi

6-Year-Old Feldi needs URGENT medical treatment - Brain Abscess & Heart Disease. He was first hospitalised, with his pregnant mother Nurhara, in Lahad Datu Hopsital on Sabah's east coast (Malaysian Borneo), on 2 December 2020 and were both separated from their close-knit family, due to the COVID crisis, with no financial resources.

Background History - I have known Feldi since he was born, and his parents (Nurhara and Ranggu), and other members of their immediate and extended family for over 10 years. I have always been struck by their genuine kindness, trustworthiness, welcoming, and friendly nature. I first met the family during the preparation and filming of the BBC Human Planet TV series https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Planet Nurhara and her family are born of the stateless and nomadic Bajau Laut or Sama Dilaut people ('Sea Gypsies') of SE Asia. Primarily located along the coast and islands between the southern Philippines, East Malaysia, and Indonesia most Bajau Laut do not hold any identification papers and do not fit within these country's government system. Ranggu is the grandson of the last Chief (Sarani) of East Malaysia's Bajau Laut people. Nurhara, Ranggu, and their children live on their houseboat off the East coast of Sabah (East Malaysia) and I have kept in contact with them all over the past decade or more and have worked with them on many TV documentaries over the years and seen their family grow.

On 6 December 2020 I received word from Nurhara that she was in Lahad Datu Hospital with her 6-year-old son, Feldi, who was extremely ill and in dire need of medical attention. They were admitted to hospital and quarantined due to possible COVID exposure. This meant they could receive urgent medical attention but were separated from the rest of their family who could not enter the hospital. Luckily I was able to visit the hospital soon after and speak directly with their doctors who informed me that Feldi had an infection brought on by a brain abscess as well as chronic heart disease. These conditions have impacted the blood flow to his lungs and compromised his breathing. Feldi was immediately placed on IV antibiotics and oxygen supply.

My company Scubazoo immediately donated money and food support to Nurhara to cover her and Feldi’s immediate needs. I was also able to meet with Ranggu outside the hospital and gave him financial support also so he could remain close by, living on the family boat, and support and feed his other children whilst Feldi and Nurhara were in the hospital. Over the past month, I have rallied a small network of concerned friends and supporters of the family, and we have managed to get more financial and food support to Nurhara in the hospital, as well as assist with information flow from the hospital to the family on the outside. Thankfully, both Nurhara and Feldi tested negative for COVID and have been moved to a paediatric ward. However, visits are still discouraged and Feldi cannot leave the ward due to his compromised health condition.

Nurhara is also 6 months pregnant, woefully underweight, scared for Feldi's wellbeing, and distraught at being apart from the rest of her family. Feldi has had 2 CT scans to monitor his brain abscess, which as a result of the IV antibiotics has reduced in size. Doctors have also identified a blockage in the blood supply to his lungs from the heart. Feldi will undergo a follow-up CT scan soon and once the doctors are happy with his recovery from the brain abscess and infection, they will seek further advice from a heart specialist about further treatment and possible surgery for his heart disease and blockage to the lungs. We are now looking for help to raise funds for Feldi's continued medical treatment, and food and communications support for the whole family.

After more than 6 weeks in hospital, the medication and IV antibiotics, many blood tests, as well as CT scans, Nurhara has now been presented with a hospital bill of MYR21,708 (approx. £4,000 or US$6,000). As a Bajau Laut, she is stateless and undocumented which means she is charged as a foreigner although Nurhara and Feldi were both born in Malaysia.

Our aim is to raise funds to cover this first medical bill as well as raise additional funds for any future medical costs. We need all the help we can get! Any and all help is greatly appreciated and even more so during these globally stressful times. FYI - Approximately 2% of your donation is deducted by Gogetfunding & Paypal payment system combined.