Baby born at 28 weeks, weighing less than a bag of rice, fights for her life at KKH

SINGAPORE: A baby girl born long before her due date is fighting for her life at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH). She and her parents, both Singapore permanent residents, face not only a challenging medical journey but also overwhelming financial costs.

Baby Lin Mya Yii Thiaw’s parents eagerly awaited her arrival on April 11, but as her father, Mr Aung, put it, “fate had other plans”.

At twenty-eight weeks and five days into her pregnancy, Aung’s wife sensed that something was wrong, as she could no longer feel the baby’s movements. After they rushed to KKH, they learnt that their child had a low oxygen supply. The baby was diagnosed with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), a condition which prevents a foetus from growing as expected.

Her father described Baby Lin as a “tiny warrior” who entered the world through an emergency C-section, weighing just 680 grams—less than a bag of rice. Writing on the crowdfunding site, Give.Asia, he shared that  “from the moment she was born, she has been fighting for her life”.

Baby Lin has been in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) since birth, battling unstable oxygen levels, infections, and daily medical challenges. Despite this, she has shown progress, with her weight now at 910 grams. Her lungs have also grown stronger, allowing her doctors to slowly reduce her mechanical ventilation support, Mr Aung wrote in his latest update.

Previously, he shared that no bleeding was detected in Baby Lin’s brain and that the hole in her heart had closed— two things that her father described as “significant milestones in her recovery journey”.

He also wrote that he and his wife have lived in Singapore for the past 17 years, but as PRs, they do not qualify for the full range of subsidies and financial aid. This poses a major challenge, as the cost of Baby Lin’s care is estimated to be at least $192,000, even after partial MediSave deductions.

“We are doing everything we can, but the reality is, we cannot do this alone,” he added.

So far, generous donors have contributed over S$27,400, but the family still has a long way to go to ensure Baby Lin’s needs are met.  According to Give.Asia, all donations go directly to KKH to cover Baby Lin’s NICU hospitalisation, life-sustaining treatments, ventilator support, medication, and specialised neonatal care.

Those who wish to support Baby Lin’s fight can do so via her Give.Asia crowdfunding page. /TISG

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