Love, Courage, and a Dash of Hope
The Unexpected Turn
When the tiniest patient—Raenelle—was just a month and a half old, her parents, Vicky and Roger, received one of the most heart‑acheing diagnoses in pediatric medicine: biliary atresia. This rare liver condition is like a nasty surprise party your body doesn’t need. Instead of a confetti shower, Vicky and Roger were met with doctors’ grim faces and a prognosis that felt like a cold rain on a sunny afternoon.
Time’s Ticking, The Brain was Tying
Fast forward to September: doctors delivered a second, even more bone‑crushing blow. Raenelle, at 17 months, now had end‑stage liver disease and doctors handed her a grim six‑month window—unless she could get a liver donor. Roger’s liver was a mismatch, and Vicky was already working on the birth of her second child. The losing card stack stacked up against them like a poorly drawn deck.
Persistence on Social Media
Desperate as ever, 35‑year‑old Vicky, a stay‑at‑home queen, decided to ask the world for help in a modern, very public way: she posted a heartfelt plea on Facebook, hoping a stranger in the living room of a random apartment might be the missing piece of the puzzle. Her message simply read: “Bestr CT and Hope” (in her own lyrical style), with a single, clear ask—find a match, save a life. The comments flooded in, but help was still scarce.
- 3 months of looking, praying, crying.
- One night of silence and thinking of a future without her daughter.
- March after February, hope grew in small, unending installments.
The Miracle That Finally Materialized
On January 6, after 90 days of searching and tears, the National University Hospital (NUH) confirmed a match—an anonymous donor who was willing to give their liver to Raenelle. The path forward seemed bright.
Ethical Review & Surgery
The Transplant Ethics Committee gave the all‑clear on January 13, a week with a calm pre‑surgery storm. By January 20, Raenelle took the operating table, and the future looked promising again.
New Year, New Life
Within two weeks, the hospital transferred her from a high dependency ward to a more normal, general ward—all thanks to a lucky donor and a team that cares. With the Chinese New Year right around the corner, the family celebrated a tiny victory—a big moment of joy—and Raenelle’s life continues to bloom with hope and bright possibilities.
In the end, it isn’t just a story about a medical marvel; it’s a testament to how a community can converge in a single, simple call for help—and because that message was made real, so sheep isn’t, but it wasn’t only about the medicine; it was about the human spirit.”
Identity
Because of confidentiality issues, the family do not know the identity of the donor.
Ms Cheng is forever grateful to the “selfless” donor and told The New Paper yesterday: “We are thankful for the donor. Immediately after the transplant, we wrote a thank you card and (got the) hospital to pass (it) to the donor.
“We really cannot thank the person enough.”
Biliary atresia is a rare disease in infants where the bile ducts in the liver are inflamed, blocking bile flow to the gallbladder and eventually leading to liver failure.
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When asked about the rollercoaster ride of emotions they had to go through over months as their child battled the disease, Ms Cheng, who gave birth to her second child last October, said: “It has been really tough. I remember vividly I worried so much from then until now. We had to travel from polyclinic to polyclinic for tests.
“I was really guilty for not being able to provide Raenelle with a good, healthy, working body.
“So I did everything I could to be with her. I cried (in the) middle of the night holding her and teared when she was poked (during injections).”
She recalled her anguish when told she could not be a donor for her daughter.
“I asked whether I could be a donor but the doctors said that I could not donate my liver within a year of my son’s birth. I didn’t think my girl could even afford to wait six months.”
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Ms Cheng also expressed her appreciation to the people that reached out to her and volunteered to go for the donor suitability test after she posted her plea on Facebook. More than 50 people responded to her post.
While fears for their daughter continued to grow, mounting medical bills also preyed on the minds of Raenelle’s parents and it eventually prompted Ms Cheng and Mr Wong, a 35-year-old maintenance specialist, to launch a Give.asia campaign last October to raise money.
The couple raised $100,000, and it helped to cover the costs of suitability tests for possible donors.
Because of Raenelle’s operation, Chinese New Year was a little different for the family this year.
“(Her) daddy stayed with her on CNY eve. We prepared her CNY clothing from home and slipped her into her cheongsam on the first day of CNY. I also whipped up a simple home-cooked meal and brought it to the hospital for her,” said Ms Cheng.
Beyond appreciative
Travelling to and from the hospital every day was not easy, so when Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) offered the couple a place to stay while Raenelle was in the intensive care unit (ICU), they were beyond appreciative.
“RMHC opened (a family room) just a few steps away from the paediatric ICU wards. We are thankful that we (were) able to catch some rest while being near to Raenelle. This even allowed us to visit her during odd hours,” said Ms Cheng.
“We have a lot of people to thank and (we) will still be needing their assistance. The doctors and nurses have been so encouraging.
“We are fortunate to have many (people) helping us. From the start we didn’t even know how to cope with (this), let alone if there would be anyone who would even be even willing to donate part of their organ to save our child,” she added.
This article was first published in The New Paper. Permission required for reproduction.
Organ donation/TransplantsDiseasesChildren and Youth
