Dream realized: Sabah Heart Fund opens halfway home for rural children with heart defects

Borneo Post

21-04-2025

Eva (third left) receives the key to the house on behalf of the SOSHF today.
KOTA KINABALU (April 21): The Society for the Sabah Heart Fund (SOSHF) has finally seen their long-time dream come true — a halfway home for children with congenital heart defects from rural areas receiving treatment at Likas Children and Women Hospital.
The home aptly called 'The Sabah Heart Fund Children's Home', is a dream long in the making and is a beacon of hope for children with congenital heart disease (CHD) and their families, said SOSHF president Datuk Eva Susau.
Eva expressed deep gratitude over the milestone, which came after 14 years of waiting.
'Praise God. I am thankful. God has provided us with blessings. He moved someone's heart to help us, and I truly thank God for that,' she said.
The home, located in Taman Kingfisher, cost RM1.15 million to establish. The house itself was purchased for RM850,000, while another RM150,000 went into renovations and fixtures.
'Our sponsor pledged RM1 million, and we used an additional RM150,000 to get the house ready,' she explained.
The sponsor, Pekah Sdn Bhd, helped realise the dream, she said Thanks to the Welfare Department, the home is now fully furnished.
'All the furniture you see — the chairs, television, and other items — were provided by the department. We are truly grateful.'
The home includes three bedrooms and can comfortably accommodate up to 12 people at a time. It will also serve as an office for the organisation.
'This home is for patients from remote areas like Pitas and Nabawan, where travelling to the hospital takes hours, involving multiple stops,' she said.
'For some, the cost of getting here is higher than a flight ticket to Kuala Lumpur. And many of them earn just RM150 a month — what can you do with RM150?'
So far, SOSHF has helped around 700 individuals, with between 100 and 200 more currently waiting for treatment.
'Not all cases are critical, so not everyone needs to be referred to Kuala Lumpur. Some are sent to the National Heart Institute (IJN) and Serdang Hospital,' she noted. 'The heart centre here in Sabah handles less complicated procedures.'
However, the waiting list at Serdang is long, and this highlights the urgent need for a dedicated heart hospital in Sabah.
'Sabah is not like other states — it's vast and unique. We need to expand our facilities here and send more doctors to care for our patients.'
She described the immense challenges faced by patients from interior regions, many of whom must walk for hours to reach a small village, then take a vehicle to a town, and continue travelling until they reach Kota Kinabalu — often by nightfall.
'Many of them begin their journey as early as 4 am,' she said. 'When they finally arrive at the hospital, they often have to wait until the next day to see a doctor.'
'With this home, they now have a place to rest. It gives them a comfortable night's stay.'
Eva also acknowledged the support of hospital social workers and the hospital director, saying, 'We all work together.'
She also praised other organisations such as Tze Chi and Ronald McDonald House Charities for setting up similar support facilities.
'It's a wonderful initiative. It really helps.'
Eva also calls for public to give generously to the society and all donations to the society is tax exempted.