Trust fund set up for PD patients

Parkinson’s patients
By CHOONG MEK ZHIN
PATIENTS suffering from advanced stages of Parkin-son’s disease (PD) can now look forward to financial aid for brain surgery from the recently launched Lloyd Tan Trust Fund.
“Only 25 Malaysians have undergone the surgery locally over the past five years. Most are unable to because of the high cost and there was little or no aid given to PD patients,” Pantai Cheras Medical Centre consultant neurologist Dr Chew Nee Kong said.
Dr Chew said that the first surgery cost RM80,000 and an additional RM60,000 every three to five years for the device's battery replacement.
PD is a progressive nervous disorder that causes tremors of the hands as well as the general slowness of body movement and stiffness.
United: The late Tan’s wife Yap Yun Kin (centre with spectacles) surrounded by PD patients and Negri Sembilan Parkinson’s Society president Gharizah Hashim (yellow baju kurung) cutting a cake commemorating the first ever Malaysia Parkinson’s Day that falls on May 8.
It can affect people of all ages from as early as 30s though it is generally an illness of the elderly.
An event commemorating the late Tan who passed away in March last year was organised by Pantai Cheras Medical Centre in collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline.
The event also saw the launch of the trust fund’s website and the book Selfless Warrior.
“The book was written as a tribute to Tan's life. He was a man who had suffered not from PD but Parkin-sonism Plus Syndrome that is exactly like PD except that it is 10 times worse. He is an inspiration and icon of perseverance to others,” Dr Chew said, adding that the proceeds from the book sales will go to the trust fund.
He added that the book also had information about PD and gives readers insight into the neglected plight of Parkinson’s patients in the country.
Dr Chew believes that PD patients should not give up on life, as most of them are still able to lead a relatively normal life despite the illness as what Tan, the founder and first president of Malaysian Parkinson’s Disease Association (MPDA), had done.
“Patients are still able to do a lot of normal things like travelling, driving, working and such with the help of medication and of course, Deep Brain Stimulation surgery,” Dr Chew said.
He added that PD patients found this difficult because they had developed a social stigma and fear of others staring at them. “Tan is our icon because he had not been afraid to show himself to the world,” he said.
For more information on the trust fund, visit the website at www.lloydtan-trust.com