logo
With savings depleted, desperate Bintulu mum seeks donations for son's second liver transplant in China

With savings depleted, desperate Bintulu mum seeks donations for son's second liver transplant in China

Borneo Post22-05-2025
Gonzalez and his parents have been based at PPUM in Kuala Lumpur since March.
BINTULU (May 22): A Bintulu mother is urgently appealing for donations to help finance a second liver transplant for her young son Gonzalez Yiu, who suffers from Type II autoimmune hepatitis and end-stage liver disease.
Gonzalez, who has been battling the condition since he was six months old, is now one year and eight months.
His mother Viviana Thomas said the estimated cost of the transplant and treatment at Renji Hospital in Shanghai, China is RM225,000.
'We've exhausted all our savings on essential supplies, medical treatment, and traveling back and forth to the hospital.
'This is our last hope. We want to keep fighting for our son's life,' she said when contacted by Utusan Borneo.
Gonzalez, the youngest of two children, underwent his first liver transplant in March last year.
Viviana was the donor, but complications soon followed and the toddler's liver has begun to deteriorate.
For the second transplant, Gonzalez's father Yiu Kuok Ling will donate part of his liver.
'My only wish is to see my son healthy and living a normal life like other children,' said Viviana, adding that they have been based at University Malaya Medical Centre (PPUM) in Kuala Lumpur since March for ongoing monitoring.
In a recent Facebook post, Biliary Atresia Malaysia Association (Bama) confirmed that, in collaboration with PPUM, they have partnered with the Nanyang Press Foundation to support the family's medical mission.
'All required documentation with the hospital in China has been finalised, and the process is expected to take about a month.
'We hope young Gonzalez can be flown to China as soon as possible, with the help of public and organisational support,' said the post.
Those wishing to contribute to Gonzalez's medical fund can donate to Yayasan Nanyang Press (OCBC Bank: 701-120679-6) using the reference Gonzalez Yiu.
For more information, contact Viviana on 010-7661816. Gonzalez Yiu lead liver transplant Renji Hospital Viviana Thomas
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Wild Elephants Given A Second Chance Through Johor Translocation Operation
Wild Elephants Given A Second Chance Through Johor Translocation Operation

Barnama

time15 hours ago

  • Barnama

Wild Elephants Given A Second Chance Through Johor Translocation Operation

KLUANG, July 24 (Bernama) -- A herd of wild elephants, once seen as a threat to local communities, is being given a second chance through a translocation effort by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN). In a coordinated operation this week, four female elephants, including a calf, were sedated and safely relocated from a rubber plantation in Kampung Sri Lukut, marking the start of a broader conservation mission in Kluang. This effort is part of an integrated operation launched on July 14, the first such initiative in Johor this year. Assisting in the operation were Abot and Sanum, two gajah denak (trained elephants) from the National Elephant Conservation Centre in Kuala Gandah, Pahang, guided by their handlers to help calm and lead the captured elephants. 'Gajah denak play a crucial role and typically work in pairs. They not only lead, but offer psychological reassurance that prevents panic and resistance,' said Johor PERHILITAN director Aminuddin Jamin. So far, nine wild elephants have been captured in the Kluang operation. Four were relocated two days ago, with two elephants moved during each subsequent session. One elephant has already been transferred to the Johor Elephant Sanctuary (JES). The operation is supported by satellite collars, each costing RM30,000 and drone surveillance to track herd movement. Over 30 personnel from PERHILITAN, JES and Kuala Gandah were involved in the field operation, along with a dedicated veterinary team. Johor PERHILITAN veterinary officer Dr Suliza Abd Wahab, who oversaw tranquilisation and post-capture care, views the elephants as patients rather than just wildlife. She explained that sedative doses are carefully tailored, with capture-phase doses reaching 20cc and reduced amounts used during transport or release.

Meta unveils wristband for controlling computers with hand gestures
Meta unveils wristband for controlling computers with hand gestures

The Star

time19 hours ago

  • The Star

Meta unveils wristband for controlling computers with hand gestures

SAN FRANCISCO: The prototype looks like a giant rectangular wristwatch. But it doesn't tell the time: It lets you control a computer from across the room simply by moving your hand. With a gentle turn of the wrist, you can push a cursor across your laptop screen. If you tap your thumb against your forefinger, you can open an app on your desktop computer. And when you write your name in the air, as if you were holding a pencil, the letters will appear on your smartphone. Designed by researchers at Meta, the tech giant that owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, this experimental technology reads the electrical signals that pulse through your muscles when you move your fingers. These signals, generated by commands sent from your brain, can reveal what you are about to do even before you do it, as the company detailed in a research paper published Wednesday in the journal Nature . With a little practice, you can even move your laptop cursor simply by producing the right thought. 'You don't have to actually move,' Thomas Reardon, the Meta vice president of research who leads the project, said in an interview. 'You just have to intend the move.' Meta's wristband is part of a sweeping effort to develop technologies that let wearers control their personal devices without touching them. The aim is to provide simpler, quicker and less awkward ways of interacting with everything from laptops to smartphones – and maybe even to develop new digital devices that replace what we all use today. Most of these technologies are years away from widespread use. They typically involve tiny devices surgically implanted in the body, which is a complicated and risky endeavor. These implants are tested solely with disabled people who cannot move their arms and hands, and need new ways of using computers or smartphones. Neuralink, a Silicon Valley startup founded by Elon Musk, aims to implant chips under the skull, beside the brain. Synchron, run by an Australian neurologist, hopes to implant devices inside blood vessels in the neck. These efforts, like those of many other startups, aim to read brain activity directly – an enormously complex process that must be tailored to the individual. Meta is taking a simpler approach. Its technology does not require surgery. Anyone can strap on the device and start using it. Using artificial intelligence techniques, Reardon and his team have identified common electrical signals that appear when a person moves a finger, wrist or thumb. 'This idea – this kind of technology – is not new, it is decades old,' said Dario Farina, a professor of bioengineering at Imperial College, London, who has tested the technology but was not involved in the research. 'The breakthrough here is that Meta has used artificial intelligence to analyse very large amounts of data, from thousands of individuals, and make this technology robust. It now performs at a level it has never reached before.' Meta's wristband uses a technique called electromyography, or EMG, to gather electrical signals from muscles in the forearm. These signals are produced by neurons in the spinal cord – called alpha motor neurons – that connect to individual muscle fibers. Because these neurons connect directly to the muscle fibers, the electrical signals are particularly strong – so strong that they can be read from outside the skin. The signal also moves much faster than the muscles. If a device like Meta's wristband can read the signals, it can type much faster than your fingers. 'We can see the electrical signal before you finger even moves,' Reardon said. EMG has long provided a way for amputees to control prosthetic hands. But technologies that use the technique as a computer interface are only beginning to mature. In 2012, three Canadian entrepreneurs founded a company called Thalmic Labs, which built an armband called Myo that sent simple computer commands using hand gestures. With the swipe of a hand, for instance, you could switch to a new slide in a PowerPoint presentation. But the company discontinued the product several years later. Reardon started similar research after founding a company called Ctrl Labs with two other neuroscientists he had met in a Ph.D. program at Columbia University. In 2019, the startup was acquired by Meta, where it now operates within a research operation called Reality Labs. Although Reardon and his colleagues have been privately demonstrating their technology for years, they are only now beginning to publicly share their work because it is now mature enough for the marketplace. The key development is the use of AI techniques to analyse the EMG signals. After collecting these signals from 10,000 people who agreed to test the prototype, Reardon used a machine learning system called a neural network – the same breed of AI that drives ChatGPT – to identify common patterns in this data. Now, it can look for these same patterns even when a different person is using the device. 'Out of the box, it can work with a new user it has never seen data for,' said Patrick Kaifosh, director of research science at Reality Labs and one of the neuroscientists that founded Ctrl Labs. According to Reardon, who is also known as the founding father of the Internet Explorer web browser at Microsoft, Meta plans to fold the technology into products over the next few years. Last fall, the company demonstrated how its wristband could be used to control an experimental version of its smart glasses, which can take photos, record videos, play music and verbally describe the world around you. Like technologies from Neuralink and Synchron, Meta's wristband could also provide new options for disabled people. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon are testing the wristband with people who have spinal cord injuries, allowing them to use smartphones and computers even though they do not have full use of their arms or hands. Most people with these types of injuries retain the ability to activate at least some of their muscle fibers. This allows the device to read what their brain is trying to do, even though their bodies can't actually make it happen. 'We can see their intention to type,' said Douglas Weber, a professor of mechanical engineering and neuroscience at Carnegie Mellon. In a similar way, Meta's wristband lets you control a computer with the appropriate thought. Merely thinking about a movement is not enough. But if you intend to make a movement, the wristband can pick up on what you aim to do – even if you do not physically move. 'It feels like the device is reading your mind, but it is not,' Reardon said. 'It is just translating your intention. It sees what you are about to do.' When you move your arm or hand or finger, the number of muscle fibers you activate varies depending on how big or how small the movement is. If you practice using the wristband long enough, you can learn to activate a tiny number of fibers without actually moving your fingers. 'We can listen to a single neuron. We are working at the atomic level of the nervous system.' – ©2025 The New York Times Company This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

Rising poor health, invalidity issues preventing Malaysians from working until retirement
Rising poor health, invalidity issues preventing Malaysians from working until retirement

Borneo Post

time20 hours ago

  • Borneo Post

Rising poor health, invalidity issues preventing Malaysians from working until retirement

Datuk Seri Dr Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed KUALA LUMPUR (July 24): As discussions reignite over Malaysia's proposal to raise the retirement age to 65, the Social Security Organisation (Perkeso) has warned that the reality on the ground tells a different story, with many Malaysians unable to work until retirement due to poor health and rising invalidity cases. Perkeso group chief executive officer Datuk Seri Dr Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed said while the proposal to extend the retirement age may appear logical in the context of Malaysians' longer lifespans, the data shows many workers are being forced to exit the workforce far earlier due to non-communicable diseases and other health conditions. 'Retirement is no longer a guarantee in Malaysia. For many, it has become a privilege they may never reach,' Dr Azman said in a statement. Perkeso data shows invalidity claims have surged by over 160 per cent in the last decade. In 2023 alone, more than 52 out of every 10,000 active workers filed for invalidity, with the average applicant being just 45 years old — far younger than the current retirement age. 'What is more alarming is that 85 per cent of invalidity cases paid in December 2024 were due to non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, kidney failure, and strokes,' Dr Azman said, noting these conditions reflect years of strain, lack of preventive care, and insufficient early intervention. He opined the idea of simply raising the retirement age without addressing systemic health and income security issues is inadequate, describing it as 'building a bridge for the lucky few while leaving everyone else to swim across'. The CEO also pointed out the limitations of Malaysia's current retirement system, which remains heavily reliant on a defined contribution model through the Employees Provident Fund (EPF). The system leaves many at risk, particularly those who are unable to continue working due to health conditions. 'Nearly 75 per cent of EPF members aged 54 have less than RM250,000 in their accounts, translating into a retirement income of less than RM1,050 per month, which is below the national poverty line,' he said. Health-related EPF withdrawals have also increased by 41 per cent since 2015, with over RM93 million withdrawn due to incapacitation in 2023 alone, indicating systemic strain in Malaysia's retirement security model. In response to these challenges, Perkeso has implemented measures such as the Health Screening Programme for workers aged 40 and above, aimed at detecting health issues before they become irreversible, and the Return-to-Work Programme, which assists injured or ill workers in rejoining the workforce through rehabilitation and support. However, Dr Azman stressed that Perkeso's efforts alone are insufficient without broader systemic reform, calling for a new vision for retirement that reflects the diversity of working lives in Malaysia. This includes the introduction of flexible retirement pathways, partial disability options, and minimum income guarantees for those forced to exit the workforce early due to health reasons. 'We must stop treating retirement as a single number, whether 60 or 65, and instead start recognising that the ability to work is not evenly distributed,' Dr Azman said. His remarks come ahead of the World Social Security Forum (WSSF) set to take place in Kuala Lumpur on Sept 29, positioning Malaysia at a pivotal moment to address these challenges with input from global best practices. 'This global gathering is not merely a stage for policy exchange. It is a test of sincerity,' Dr Azman said, adding that Malaysia's hosting of the WSSF is an opportunity to learn from other countries facing similar demographic pressures while ensuring those who contributed to the nation's workforce are not left behind. He emphasised the need to design a future that protects all workers, including those who could not work until retirement due to health limitations, ensuring that every worker is seen, valued, and supported. 'Let us not build a future that works only for the fit and fortunate. Let us build one that holds up the weary,' he said. 'Because in the end, what is the point of being the last person standing while others did not make it?' The call for a more compassionate and realistic approach to Malaysia's retirement and social protection framework comes as the nation grapples with an ageing population, rising healthcare costs, and a workforce increasingly impacted by non-communicable diseases. This demands urgent cross-ministerial and multi-stakeholder attention to address dignified ageing and income security for all Malaysians. Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed Perkeso retirement

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store