Materia Medica Malaysiana

Mysterious Illness Keeps Siblings From Growing

SUNGAI SIPUT, Dec 14 (Bernama) -- Many people wish they could remain young forever but they would not want to be in the shoes of two siblings here who have been unable to grow since birth, a malady that goes beyond apprehension.
Ten-year-old boy Sugan and his sister Devarani, six, have grown little since their birth and weigh 3 kg and 2.5 kg respectively.
Their parents, P. Moorthy, 44, and A. Thanthy, 31, who have three other children, have tried everything to cure them of the affliction but to no avail.
The mysterious illness struck the second and fifth of their children when they were two-month old infants. Despite their ages, both Sugan and Devarani only consume milk and cereals like babies.
"They have to be cared for very carefully. I have taken them to many doctors, including at Ipoh Hospital, but all of them tell me my children don't have any problem," Moorthy told reporters Tuesday at his home, here.
He said that going by their ages, his children should be attending school but they can hardly walk or even move.
"They live the life of newborn babies and have to be helped in every way. This worries me when I think about their future," he added.
Moorthy said the family received aid of RM50 a month from the Welfare Department to reduce the family's burden in looking after the two unfortunate children.
"As a result of lying down most of the time, they have been afflicted by another problem where their limbs have shrunk to the bones.
"They also have to be bathed in warm water as cold water can cause them to catch fever," he said.
He said the children would cry when their napkins get wet but could joke with their other siblings as they could understand what was said to them.
Moorthy appealed to any medical specialist who could help the children to come forward and relief them of their plight.
"I am worried for their future," he lamented.