Seven-year-old Elikhana Douney left his home in Bambangan, in East Malaysia's interior, on March 1, and stepped into a new world. He wasn't sure where he was headed with his father, 38-year-old Donny Daliun, as they boarded an AirAsia plane at Kota Kinab
Seven-year-old Elikhana Douney left his home in Bambangan, in East Malaysia’s interior, on March 1, and stepped into a new world. He wasn’t sure where he was headed with his father, 38-year-old Donny Daliun, as they boarded an AirAsia plane at Kota Kinabalu. To the seven-year-old, sitting in a car was not common and riding in an airplane was even more rare.
When Elikhana woke up the morning of Mar. 4, his throat and upper lip were in pain. He touched his lip and asked his father, “Where are the holes?”
Elikhana, who was born with a double cleft lip, had cosmetic and reconstructive surgery performed on Mar. 3 at Penang Adventist Hospital (PAH) by Dr. Danny Oh, the hospital’s consultant cosmetic and reconstructive surgeon. The successful surgery has given Elikhana a new look and a brand new smile.
The Bambangan boy shies away when people talk to him. He has only a handful of friends who are wiling to play with him because of his physical appearance.
“We hope that Elikhana will go home and become a more confident person; our interest is in making a difference in the lives of the less fortunate,” said hospital president and CEO Teddric Jon Mohr, while visiting the young boy.
Elikhana is the second child from Bambangan who has benefited from the hospital’s Sabbath Charity Fund. The Fund enables those who cannot afford medical treatment a chance to seek help at the not-for-profit hospital. The first was nine-year-old Nusti binti Lim who underwent surgery in November 2002. At that time, Elikhana was also given a chance to come to PAH, but the family decided not to come for fear of the unknown. Elikhana’s father is a farmer, and earns about U.S. $5.26 per month.
PAH was able to reach out to Elikhana through a supporter of the hospital who recommended that he come to Penang for treatment.
Though Penang and Bambangan are both Malaysian towns, the Daliun’s trip to Penang seemed as though they had travelled to a foreign, faraway land. Their small village has 28 families with an average of six children in each family. Elikhana enjoyed watching a color television for the first time while in Penang. Their village has two black and white televisions, which are battery-operated since the village does not have access to electricity.
On March 7, after a weekend of recuperation, Elikhana and his father had the chance to see the sights of Penang. One of the main stops was Fort Cornwallis where hospital staff shared historical stories about Penang.
Begun as a simple outpatient clinic started by an Adventist missionary couple, PAH has grown into a 276-bed hospital with more than 700 volunteers and staff. The hospital, which reaches out to both children and adults, celebrated its 80th anniversary last year.
Though the initial purpose of the hospital was to serve the community of Penang, the area it serves has grown beyond those borders, allowing it to reach out to those from developed countries such as the United Kingdom and Singapore, as well as to developing countries such as Cambodia and Indonesia.
