Couple launches fundraiser as hospital bill mounts for premature baby born at 25 weeks, weighing 590g
Source: TODAY
SINGAPORE -- The sound of babies crying used to annoy Mr Gaw Chee Hoe but when his son was born, he realised just how "precious" that sound is.
"Hearing your baby cry - it's a blessing," said Mr Gaw, 33. "You see, with our baby, we have not even heard his first cry yet."
His son, Gaw Jun Chen, was born extremely premature at 25 weeks.
The moment his son was born, he was whisked off to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH) to be hooked up to an incubator, with tubes attached to all 25cm of him.
Premature babies who require specialised care often have to remain in the hospital for four months after their birth, barring any complications.
With mounting hospital bills, Mr Gaw and his wife, Ms Lim Lee Yue, have launched a campaign with Give.asia to raise funds for Jun Chen's hospital stay.
Premature babies' hearts and lungs are often not fully developed, and those born at 25 weeks weigh 750g on average.
Jun Chen was much smaller at 590g, which means there might be more risks and complications, said Mr Gaw, who works as a customer service officer.
Ms Lim gave birth to Jun Chen via an emergency Caesarean section in the hospital, and the first time she could see her baby was only three days later.
The 33-year-old accountant described the moment she touched his hand through the incubator as "a mixture" of emotions, where she felt happy, sad and worried at the same time.
The same went for Mr Gaw, who was initially shocked by how fragile Jun Chen looked.
"I was very worried because our baby's skin was very red and they inserted a lot of tubes in him," he said.
"We feel excited for a new chapter journey of our marriage, but we still feel worried and sad when we see our son is so tiny and red."
Mr Gaw and Ms Yue had been thinking about starting a family since they got married in 2018, but they held off their plans to ensure their finances and careers were in order.
When everything seemed settled, they started trying for a baby.
"I was watching TV when my wife came up to me, laughing, saying I was going to be a father," Mr Gaw recalled.
As the months went on, Ms Lim's pregnancy was pretty normal, with the usual bouts of morning sickness during her first trimester.
However, on Dec 25, 2023, Ms Lim was hit by intense and persistent headaches.
She went to see her general practitioner, who found that her blood pressure was extremely high. She was advised to go to KKH.
"Everything was chaotic and everything turned into a mad rush," said Mr Gaw, describing the frenzy and panic they had as they packed their bags before heading to the hospital.
Upon arriving at KKH, he said it was like a "movie scene; more than 10 nurses and doctors were attending to us".
The couple said they did not realise the severity of Ms Lim's case and were shocked when the doctor told them that she had preeclampsia.
Preeclampsia is a serious blood pressure condition that develops during pregnancy. People with preeclampsia often have high blood pressure and high levels of protein in their urine.
The primary treatment for preeclampsia is either to deliver the baby or manage the condition until it is the best time to give birth.
The doctor told the couple that one of their options was an emergency C-section. Since Ms Lim was only 25 weeks pregnant, Mr Gaw wanted to wait to see if her blood pressure would stabilise first.
The couple waited till the next day and were advised by their doctors that an emergency C-section was the best option to preserve both Jun Chen's and Ms Lim's life.
Even though Ms Lim and Jun Chen's lives are out of immediate danger, the journey is far from over.
"Having premature babies is like a marathon," said Mr Gaw, as the condition of premature babies can change for the worse "at a snap of a finger".
As such, Jun Chen's day-to-day state has to be closely monitored.
"At first, we blamed ourselves," said Mr Gaw. The couple felt like they might have done something wrong, causing Jun Chen to be born prematurely.
The couple said they were very grateful to their social worker from KKH, Ms Seah Enqi, who offered them moral support and assured them that it was not their fault.
Still, what worries the couple now is how long Jun Chen would stay in the hospital and how much the bill would be.
The hospital cannot estimate how long he will stay there. Naturally, the longer he stays, the higher the hospital bill.
Initially, the amount projected for his stay was S$330,070 and might reach almost S$390,000 if any complications arise.
After government subsidies, the bill will approximately be S$150,000 to S$170,000.
Feeling desperate, Mr Gaw searched for help and found Give.asia.
The next day, he returned to the hospital to visit his baby and spoke to his social worker about Give.asia.
He discovered that KKH does accept donations from the platform and any money collected goes straight to the hospital.
The campaign began on Jan 3, and the couple has raised S$12,000 out of the S$170,000 goal. Jun Chen has spent close to three weeks in the NICU.
"Our biggest hope is that our baby will be healthy and able to go home soon," said Mr Gaw.