Help Support the Chiam Family Recover From Triple Tragedy

HELP SUPPORT THE CHIAM FAMILY RECOVER FROM TRIPLE TRAGEDY

My name is LeAnne Lee. I am raising funds for my cousin's family living in Kuching, Malaysia. The Chiam family faced triple tragedy within a period of six months.

Chiam Chiew Ping is a 30-year-old, single girl growing up in a family of four in the city of Kuching in East Malaysia. She was diagnosed with autoimmune disease last year. The health care system in the Sarawak government run general hospital in Kuching faced underfunding, limited resources, and weak infrastructure. She wasn’t receiving the medical attention she needed to manage her symptoms and slow down the autoimmune disease progression. Less than a month ago, she suffered sudden loss of both kidneys function. She fainted while at work. Her family rushed her to the general hospital. She was administered IV drips for two days, and was quickly discharged. At home, she fainted once again. She was readmitted to the general hospital. She was asked to seek private medical facility services for a central venous catheter (CVC) for immediate dialysis. Disparities in access to quality healthcare, particularly for vulnerable populations are common in government run medical centers. The family are poor and do not have access to financial resources. For long-term dialysis, they have to pay for the upcoming surgery: arteriovenous fistulas (AV fistulas) or arteriovenous grafts (AV grafts). She is placed on the national kidneys transplant list.

Six months earlier, her father died from a sudden aneurysm. He coughed blood and collapsed on the bathroom floor. He was recovering from a surgery for coronary artery disease. He was sixty-five.

Chiam Tau Boo was a father to two daughters: Chiam Chiew Ik and Chiam Chiew Ping, and a husband to Anjong Anak Ingee.

Chiam Chiew Ik and Chiam Chiew Ping, are suddenly left finding their way without the support and structure from their father.

Chiam Tau Boo was a happy-go-lucky sort of person, always smiling and never worried about anything. He had a carefree and easy-going personality, making him a pleasure to be around. He worked as a cook at the local family-run restaurant all of his life. He grew up in a family of three boys and three girls. His father passed away from nose cancer when he was very little. Being the eldest son in the family, he had to help his mother take care of the family. He didn't finish elementary school. He started working as a kitchen helper when he was ten. Chiam Tau Boo worked his way to become a cook. As he was heading towards retirement, he took up jobs with lesser responsibilities and workload delivering catered food and as a car park attendant at the same establishment. With his lighthearted and unconcerned attitude, he always found a way to make the best of any situation. Kind and empathetic, he was always around to lend others a helping hand. He did not complain when life gets very hard because he always understood that hard work, humility, and honesty are the fundamental virtues that, when combined, can lead to personal success, building trust and fostering positive relationships. He dedicated his life to providing a safe foundation and structure for his large family.

Anjong Anak Ingee worked as a laundry employee for the same restaurant. Their daughters are now young adults. Chiam Chiew Ik works at the iPhone store while Chiam Chiew Ping manages a shoe store chain.

While Chiam Tau Boo was a devoted son and brother, a responsible and hard worker, and a trustworthy friend, it was at home where he was most loved and respected.

On top of losing their father, the family also faced losing their single-family, single level row house to poor foundation and structure. The back walls are about to fall apart. The structural design flaws, poor foundation, and weak materials caused the walls to be unsafe. The adjoining bathroom walls and bedroom walls are at risk of collapsing. The two sisters had already moved out of their bedrooms at the back of their house to share the front room with their mother.

The financial burden now facing Chiam Chiew Ik, the eldest daughter is overwhelming. She is currently the sole provider for her family. As the family begin to navigate this heartbreaking new reality, we are asking for your help to ease their burdens. Our goal is to raise funds to help pay off their father’s funeral debts, hire a contractor to rebuild the back section of their house, and for Chiam Chiew Ping's next surgery (AV fistula or AV graft), and the long-term costs on dialysis.

If you are able to contribute, no matter the amount, will make a difference to helping the Chiam family recover from their tragedy. If you are unable to donate, we gladly appreciate your assistance by sharing this page with others who might be able to help.

We thank you all very much in advance for your help.