Latest news with #immunodeficiency
Straits Times
20-07-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Happy, healthy, home-ready: Sanctuary prepares rescued kitties for adoption
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Ms Eva Helina Irman, operations manager of Little Katpaws, keeping the cats at the animal shelter active. SINGAPORE – Ms Eva Helina Irman runs Little Katpaws, a cat shelter on the second floor of a shophouse in Aliwal Street. The cat sanctuary, about 2,000 sq ft, is designed like a home for felines to roam freely. This is to help the rescued cats 'acclimate to human homes should they get adopted', said Ms Eva, 28, who is the operations manager. Little Katpaws was started by her 48-year-old mother Katrina Shamsudin in 2016. 'It was a small place located at Ming Arcade in Cuscaden Road. We had only 10 cats then,' Ms Eva told The Straits Times. 'I was 13 when I pestered her into fostering some cats. Eventually, it became her pet project,' Ms Eva said of her mother. 'We moved to a much bigger place in North Bridge Road in 2020 and at one point, we even helped rescue 40 cats from a hoarder. We managed to find homes for 25 of them. A few of those cats are still with us,' she added. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore 1 in 3 vapes here laced with etomidate; MOH working with MHA to list it as illegal drug: Ong Ye Kung Singapore HSA extends hotline hours, launches new platform to report vaping offences Singapore Tampines regional centre set to get more homes, offices and public amenities Multimedia How to make the most out of small homes in Singapore World Diplomats dismissed: Inside the overhaul reshaping Trump's foreign policy Life US tech CEO Andy Byron resigns after viral Coldplay 'kiss cam' video Opinion I thought I was a 'chill' parent. Then came P1 registration Singapore 'God and government are the only things beyond our control,' says Group CEO Her mother used to run a boarding place for cats but called it quits after 'some owners stopped paying for the food and board, or simply became uncontactable when it was time for the cats to go home', according to Ms Eva, who previously worked for charities. 'The boarding provided income for the sanctuary. With that gone, we depend on donations from kind people and that makes up 30 per cent of our expenditure. The rest comes from our own pockets,' she said. Cats are allowed to roam the shelter, but those that are sick are confined in glass rooms. ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO The largest portion of the expenses goes to veterinary care and food. On some months, the donations dipped so low that almost 90 per cent of the costs came out of their own pockets. Today, Little Katpaws houses a total of 30 cats. Ms Eva has capped the number at 40 to prevent overcrowding. She has also installed created rooms with glass doors to separate cats infected with feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) or feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) so that the healthy ones are protected. FIV attacks a cat's immune system, leaving it vulnerable to infections. FeLV is a form of leukaemia that causes a variety of diseases as it invades cells in the immune system and blood-forming tissues. Segregating the sick kitties 'does not mean these cats do not get sun and exercise', Ms Eva said. Two of the 30 cats at the sanctuary. Operations manager Eva Helina Irman said many of the residents are ready for adoption. ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO They are let out at different times of the day to roam some of the other rooms, which would be thoroughly cleaned after use. 'Cat shelters need to prioritise the well-being of their feline residents. Therefore, they need to provide adequate space, safe and clean environments, and proper healthcare,' she added. Currently, there are no common set of national guidelines to help shelters adopt best practices across the board. Ms Eva relies on what she has learnt online and through experiences to ensure her feline residents are 'happy, healthy and ready to be adopted'. 'Only when the new regulations come out will we see how we can tweak our current practices to ensure we toe the line,' she said.
The National
14-05-2025
- Health
- The National
Gaza child receives life-saving transplant in Abu Dhabi
A child with a rare and severe immunodeficiency has undergone life-saving treatment in Abu Dhabi's Yas Clinic in Khalifa City. The bone marrow transplant, conducted under the supervision of the Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Centre, came after the child had been admitted for seven months diagnosed with DADA-2 deficiency, state news agency Wam reported. This is a rare genetic disorder that involves inflammation of the body's tissues, especially the tissues that make up the blood vessels. It can lead to damaged vital organs and systems, resulting in disability and even death. After admission, the boy required prolonged care in Yas Clinic's paediatric intensive care unit due to the complexity of his condition. Family support To save his life, and with the UAE's support, his sister was able to travel from Gaza to serve as his matched donor in a transplant performed last month. He has since been discharged and is in a stable condition, Wam added. 'This was an extraordinary case that brought together every element of modern medicine, from genetics and immunology to critical care and transplantation,' said Dr Maysoon Al Karam, chief medical officer at Yas Clinic Khalifa City. 'The commitment shown by our multidisciplinary team and our partners at ADSCC made all the difference in this child's life.' The patient has now returned home to continue his recovery. UAE delivers The operation is one of many examples of how the UAE has supported the people of Gaza since war broke out in the enclave. Launched in 2023 by President Sheikh Mohamed, Operation Gallant Knight 3 has been carried out in collaboration with the Emirates Red Crescent and humanitarian and charitable institutions in the UAE, to deliver aid to those most in need. More than 55,000 tonnes of aid has been delivered through air, and across sea and land, with more than 500 air trips, six transport ships and 2,500 lorries used to carry goods from Egypt into Gaza. Additionally, an air drop operation has delivered more than 3,700 tonnes of humanitarian aid by parachute in inaccessible areas.
