Stroke Survivor Breathes Easy Again

BY GILLIAN LIM

A severe stroke had left Mdm Mumtaza Siddique Missouri, 66, fighting for a second chance at life in 2011. It was a harrowing time for her sister and main caregiver, Ms Aliza, who was presented with a difficult decision by Mdm Mumtaza’s doctors – whether or not to take her off life support. Ms Aliza recounted that moment, “It was very tough. I told them no. I said I will take care of her no matter what it is.”

Before the stroke in 2011, Mdm Mumtaza was struggling with pulmonary arterial hypertension, a condition uncovered by doctors, as she had difficulty breathing while walking.

Miraculously, Mdm Mumtaza made a slow but steady recovery in the year following the stroke. She regained some independence following the recovery, but had to make room for an oxygen concentrator which she has to rely on for life. The device, which is always on, supplies oxygen so that Mdm Mumtaza can breathe.

Yet, a nightmare struck again in 2021 when Mdm Mumtaza felt breathless after taking a few steps. This time, she was no longer allowed to walk. The doctors also prescribed blood thinners for her , but these caused an adverse reaction that led her to do a scope to patch the bleeding.

Since the doctor’s orders and COVID-19 restrictions that year, the sisters have been home-bound, making only occasional trips to the nearby polyclinic. Understanding that there would be difficulty holding down a full-time job while caring for her sister, from home since 2018. Their expenses, however, outweigh the income from her small business.

The oxygen concentrator that Mdm Mumtaza is heavily reliant on requires replacements for the sieve beds to maintain purity and prevent her health from deteriorating. But Ms Aliza’s financial limitation has posed obstacles towards maintaining the machine.

The Heart Support Fund from the Singapore Heart Foundation has aided the sisters with the repair and replacement costs of the oxygen concentrator, for which they are very grateful.

“We are very lucky today in Singapore. We have a lot of support. Otherwise for people like us, it would be very difficult. Medication, prescriptions and all the procedures can sometimes be so expensive.

I just hope there will be more big-hearted people in Singapore who understands the pain and sufferings of others. And what God has given them in abundance, I hope they will share with others.

The Heart Support Fund brings relief to many heart patients like Mdm Mumtaza in the form of treatment subsidies, emergency financial relief and the provision of medical devices.

In Loving Memory of the late Mdm Mumtaza Siddique Missouri.