By : NILAKRISNA JAMES
KOTA KINABALU : An urgent
appeal to the public is made to all those whose blood type is O-Positive to
come forward and donate blood at Hospital Likas, Kingfisher, in Kota Kinabalu
to save the life of 12 year old Neowell Vann Houtton, whose HB blood level is
now at 6.7 and requiring urgent blood transfusion to save his life.
Neowell is suffering from
thalassemia major and requires monthly blood transfusions but his rare blood
type of O-Positive R1R1 means that access to the correct blood type is
difficult. The normal HB level is 13 and Neowell’s blood level is now
considered critical.
“As a result of the
difficulty of getting enough blood into his system on time, Neowell has just
regressed over the years and he is now mentally and physically challenged as a
direct result of inability to access blood transfusions on time,” said his
mother, Selly Onong, in a joint press statement with activist and lawyer,
Nilakrisna James.
Nilakrisna added that she
has monitored the condition of the boy since she first appealed for public
blood donation to save Neowell’s life seven years ago.
“This is the fourth time in
7 years that I am assisting this family to make a public appeal to save Neowell’s
life. We are not here to debate whether he is to live or die with his present
condition as our basic urgent appeal is to save his life with blood donation.
"We need two packs
urgently right now and on a monthly basis we need a group of good Samaritans
who know that they are the correct blood match to just take turns to donate
blood to keep Neowell alive.”
“Thalassemia is apparently
the most common genetic disorder in Malaysia. We need to focus on the ways we
can make it easier for people with the disorder to have access to donors for
blood transfusions so that they are not on waiting lists till it becomes
critical. Selly has begged the hospital to release the names and identities of
donors with the correct blood match to Neowell so that she can contact them
directly to save her son’s life if and when it reaches critical levels like
this but the hospital does not do this.
"We have no means of
knowing who is O-Positive R1R1 unless every blood donor makes a specific
request and contact the mother themselves to volunteer as an emergency or
regular donor to Neowell. If you are prepared to do this please contact me on
my handphone 0168459287 or contact Neowell’s mother, Selly, on 0107826955,”
said Nilakrisna.
All O-Positive blood type
donors are urgently requested to go to Hospital Likas Blood Donation unit and
make a blood donation request to the name: NEOWELL VANN HOUTTON, urgently and
as soon as possible.
NOTES TO THE PRESS & DONOR:
If you wish to meet
Selly and meet mother and child, please contact her on 0107826955. Her email is
sellyonong@yahoo.com. When the HB level reaches 5, Neowell will be immediately
hospitalised and fighting for his life. Your publication WILL make a
difference. God bless you all.
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