13 year-old Amelia* suffers from congenital scoliosis, a type of spinal deformity caused by abnormally developed vertebrae. In September 2010, her condition unfortunately took a turn for the worse when a prescribed corrective surgery left her paraplegic and wheelchair-bound instead.
Amelia currently lives in a HDB flat with her mother, elder sister and grandmother. The whereabouts of her father is unknown as he is estranged from the family and does not contribute to them financially. As such, Amelia’s mother has to assume the responsibility of being the main breadwinner and she juggles two jobs (previously three) to make ends meet. This burden has since been lightened as Amelia’s sister has started working following the completion of her studies. However, their combined monthly income of $2,600 remains insufficient to cover Amelia’s medical fees.
With Amelia’s successful application, $60,000 was set aside from the NUH PCF to help cover her outstanding hospital bills and fund future medical expenses. Some of the money will also be used to acquire other step-down care necessities such as wheelchairs, vital home modifications and ankle-foot orthoses which will assist Amelia on her road to recovery and her new lease of life.
*Name has been changed for patient confidentiality |
