MUHAMMAD SAIFUL BIN ALI, 10 who hails from Putatan, in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah got his wish to meet his idol; TV host and producer Datuk Aznil Nawawi in person at a special event organized by the Children’s Wish Society of Malaysia.
Saiful was caught unawares that his wish to meet Aznil would become a reality. Earlier, the young boy who suffers from Pontine Glioma, was treated to a scrumptious dinner with his family by Promenade Hotel Kota Kinabalu. Right in the middle of all the excitement, his surprise visitor breezed in and said “hello”.
Pontine Glioma is a rare tumor of the brainstem that occurs almost exclusively in children. A pontine glioma occurs in a most delicate area of the brainstem (the “pons”), which controls many critical functions, including breathing and blood pressure. Its location, as well as the way it infiltrates normal brain tissue, makes it especially difficult to treat.
Saiful spent the rest of the evening “star struck” with Aznil sitting beside him throughout dinner. Aznil and the rest of the guests present later sang Saiful a birthday song before the young boy blew the candles on his cake. Saiful’s birthday was on November 10.
Promenade Hotel group director of marketing communications Ms Anita Chung who hosted the overnight stay for Saiful and his family together with the birthday party said it was heartwarming to see Saiful smile from ear-to-ear when he was surprised by Aznil. She said the hotel was proud to be a partner with CWS over the years and especially in helping to fulfill Saiful’s wish.
CWS vice president Teoh Teik Hoong said the society had received word of Saiful’s wish just two weeks earlier and had immediately reached out to Aznil to help fulfill the boy’s wish. “We are truly glad Datuk Aznil could clear his busy schedule to join us to bring a smile back to this young boy’s life. We are humbled by his support and enthusiasm in flying all the way to Kota Kinabalu to do this,” Teoh said.
“We would like to thank Datuk Aznil and his team for the support; Astro for their generous support in helping us with the cost of flying Datuk Aznil over; Promenade Hotel for their hospitality and support in making this wish come true; Big Wheel Group for their ever-strong support in our efforts in Sabah and our volunteers in Sabah who have come together to make this wish come true.”
“CWS is all about getting everyone together to make a difference and to bring a smile back to ailing children across the country that need a spark to bring back the smile to their lives,” Teoh added.
Find out more about CWS at Facebook Page – CWSMalaysia.
Joanne Lee
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