4yo Fayyadh passes away after brave battle with rare liver disease, family grateful for public’s generosity

KUCHING, Sept 2: After battling a rare liver disease, four-year-old Muhammad Fayyadh Hadif passed away today at Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) here.

According to TVS, the boy’s father, Masli Bojeng, 54, said that his son had been admitted to SGH since last Monday (Aug 25) due to high ammonia levels in his body and was pronounced dead at 10.20am this morning.
“Ever since returning from China after the failed liver surgery, Fayyadh had become less active than before and spent most of his time lying down,” Masli told TVS.

“This was the third time he was admitted for treatment at SGH due to low albumin levels in his body, which caused swelling and reduced urination,” he added.

He explained that the high ammonia levels also caused a loss of appetite and thirst, stiffness in the hair, and eventually led to unconsciousness, requiring urgent hospitalisation.

As a father, Masli said he accepts the will of God and views his son’s passing as a great test for their family.

“We have done our very best for Fayyadh throughout his life, but Allah loves him more. Only Allah knows the depth of our sacrifices in caring for him right up to his final breath,” he said.

Masli also expressed profound gratitude to the public for their generous support and donations, which had helped fund Fayyadh’s surgery in China earlier.

“As the head of the family, I truly appreciate the compassion and contributions from those who sympathised with Fayyadh’s condition and came forward to help him undergo a liver transplant.

“Although the transplant attempt failed, we did everything we could to see Fayyadh recover and live a healthy life like other children,” he said.

News of Fayyadh’s passing has drawn an outpouring of condolences from netizens, many of whom had previously offered support during his treatment journey and are now expressing their sympathy for the grieving family.
Previously, it was reported that RM185,000 was needed to fund a critical liver transplant for Fayyadh in China. The family appealed to the public for funds, and on April 21, the campaign reached its target.

Masli, who was to donate part of his liver, together with his wife Hanifah Salam, 39, and a representative from the Biliary Atresia Malaysia Association (BAMA), travelled to China on May 23 to attempt a second surgery after the first procedure had shown limited success.

However, after more than two hours in the operating theatre, the medical team encountered severe internal adhesions from the earlier surgery, which made it impossible to proceed without risking dangerous bleeding.

To prevent further complications and potential loss of life during the operation, the surgeons had to halt the procedure.

Fayyadh suffered from biliary atresia—a rare disease of the liver and bile ducts that occurs in infants.

When a baby has biliary atresia, bile flow from the liver to the gallbladder is blocked. This causes the bile to be trapped inside the liver, quickly causing damage and scarring of the liver cells (cirrhosis) that eventually leads to liver failure.

His condition was first detected when he was just two months old. At four months, he underwent a bile duct bypass surgery at SGH. Follow-up treatments continued at SGH until they were referred to Tunku Azizah Hospital, Kuala Lumpur (HKL), for a recommended liver transplant.

He underwent his first liver transplant on March 29, 2023, but the organ donated by his mother later failed due to serious complications.