Young bride in pregnancy DILEMMA

SANDAKAN - A 19-year-old girl is in a dilemma on whether to abort her 5-month-old foetus as she is suffering from kidney failure and there is a great risk to her life to have the baby.

Her dilemma was compounded when she had to make the decision on her wedding day which was held at the Hospital Duchess of Kent here, yesterday.

Chang Mui Nyuk, the second of three siblings, fell ill last week and was sent to the hospital for immediate treatment.

Mui Nyuk and her family were shocked when the medical team found out that she was suffering from kidney failure and had to be hospitalised immediately.

Mui Nyuk’s father, Chang Shew Sing, 52, was devastated by his only daughter’s condition. He said that the doctor advised her to abort the baby as it could be a great risk to her life to be pregnant and undergo haemodialysis at the same time.

Poor prognosis

However, Chang said the doctor also informed him that his daughter did not have much chance of survival even if she aborted the child, as they have yet to identify which medical procedure she needed to undergo.

Mui Nyuk has little time to decide as she is already five months pregnant, and the longer she waits, the harder the abortion operation would be. Although she has a strong will to keep the baby, due to her health condition she must decide whether or not to undergo an abortion.

“I am still considering on whether to keep this child, even though I desperately want to. I will include all family members and my husband’s opinion in making this call,” Mui Nyuk said.

Tham (left) and Mui Nyuk are the first couple ever to hold their wedding at the Duchess of Kent Hospital here.

The couple with Duchess of Kent Hospital nurses who witnessed their marriage.

Determined to make Mui Nyuk a happy bride, her husband, Tham Yiew Wei decided to have the wedding at the hospital, which was the first wedding ever held at the Duchess of Kent Hospital here.

The couple, who did not foresee the tragedy, got engaged on May 30 this year, and reserved a hotel banquet for their wedding right after they took pre-wedding photos.

All their initial plans have now been cancelled due to Mui Nyuk’s health condition.

The wedding was held at the first-class ward of the hospital here, and was pre-arranged by Duchess of Kent Hospital director, Dr Francis Paul.

With no fancy wedding gown, background music, and glamorous wedding hall, the couple exchanged rings at the simple wedding ceremony witnessed by their family members and a few hospital staff.

During the Chinese custom tea ceremony session, Mui Nyuk said something to her mother-in-law that touched everyone’s heart.

“If I could not become your daughter-in-law in this life, I really hope that I could become your daughter-in-law again in the next life,” Mui Nyuk said.

The bride and groom and their family members thanked Dr Francis Paul, Dr Chan Yin Chin, Dr Wong Kah Wei, Dr Mohamad Firdaus Salleh and other hospital staff who made the wedding possible. - Borneo Post