Duo with facial tumours to leave for China for surgery

Star: ALOR STAR: Two young people here with large tumours on their face will be flying off to China tomorrow for their long-awaited chance to change their looks.
“I hope to look like (filmmaker) Datuk Yusof Haslam or (singer) Awie,” said 25-year-old Tan Kia Khim, who is excited about the prospects of reconstructive surgery on his face.
The Kedah Chinese Assembly Hall (KCAH) had raised RM200,000 for him and Hong Siew Hui, 18, to be at the Fuda Cancer Hospital in Guangdong for a two-week medical check-up that would, hopefully, lead to a facelift.
Donors had answered the association’s call and came forward to raise the money, following media reports that Hong, despite her deformity, passed her SPM examination with flying colours.
Tan, a coffeeshop assistant, had also read the report, and quickly lent his support to the teenage girl. The association was touched and also decided to help him.
A keen fan of Gerak Khas, the popular TV series produced by Yusof, Tan said: “Given the chance to act in the drama, I will jump with excitement.”
He said he also enjoyed listening to Malay songs, especially Awie’s rock numbers.
Tan said his face became permanently swollen after he fell off from bed when he was barely a year old.
“My mother told me I was born normal,” said the chirpy young man, who was treated by friends to a trip to Penang on Friday.
It was the first time he had an outing with friends to the island, where he went shopping at Komtar and enjoyed a dip in the sea at Batu Feringghi.
Hong, who was initially reluctant to undergo surgery merely to look pretty, said she changed her mind because she was touched by the overwhelming support from well-wishers.
Hong, who has been suffering from the growth since birth, said the tumour robbed her of her left eyesight.
“Although I have accepted the way I look, I feel touched that people are willing to part with their money to make me look better,” she said, adding that this had motivated her to go for possible surgery.
KCAH secretary Cheng Lai Hock said a team of 14 specialists in various medical fields would be attending to Hong and Tan in China.
He added that although the RM200,000 target had been reached, the fundraising would continue as there would be other expenses after the preliminary checks and initial surgery.
The association will host a bon voyage luncheon for the pair today, where letters from well-wishers and donors will be read out.
Cheng thanked the Chinese Embassy for quickly granting two-year multiple entry visas for Hong and Tan.