A Malaysian tragedy in Africa

Edited: 11 Dec 2009
I have just heard that the girl's family has pulled the plug yesterday. The girl has passed away peacefully. May she rest in peace. There are a lot more red tapes and things her family will have to do before she'll back on Malaysian soil.

I did not get the chance to publish this yesterday coz I came back late but this happened yesterday afternoon.

We came to know of a Malaysian tragedy on Sunday night from the Deputy High Commissioner of Malaysia to Kenya. A Malaysian, educated and working in USA, came to Africa alone for a holiday a week or more ago. Last weekend, tragically, she was involved in a head-on car accident in Tanzania, a small town called Moshi.

She was sent to the local hospital which according to her father is hopeless. They do not have a CT scan machine and X-ray machine was not functioning! She was there from Sunday to Friday. Her father arrived on Friday and after seeing the condition of the hospital, evacuated her to Nairobi Hospital. We don't exactly know what happened, we only know she came without telling her family in Malaysia and that during the first couple of day after the accident, she was in and out of consciousness. But when her father arrived on Friday, she has already gone into a coma.

We visited her at the hospital yesterday. Her father was there. Despite being a well traveled person, she hasn't got any travel insurance. Her head was shaved, her features altered from the accident and has tubes all over. She suffered head injuries and only head injuries. When she arrived at Nairobi Hospital, they did a CT Scan on her immediately to know how severe her injuries are. They found out that she has developed a 2nd hemorrhage and there is nothing else they can do. If she lives, she'll be bed-ridden and will have to be on support for the rest of her life, basically a vegetable. Right now, she's only alive because of the life support. Her father has mentioned that he's decided to pull the plug but he's waiting for his son to arrive (later today) - I guess so that his son can see his sister for the last time and also for support.

It's very sad to see how her father is struggling to be strong. It's not easy especially when you're all alone here. No family, no friends in a country/continent which is so different from the rest. Her father told us, his daughter was actually due to be back in Malaysia during the Christmas holidays and he was planning to bring his family to their ancestral village in China. Now, no chance of it happening ever.

Hubby will be going to the airport this afternoon to pick his son from the airport. I'm not sure when the decision will be taken, when they will leave. But right now, all we can is to help the living. There's nothing we or the doctors can do for his daughter anymore.