'Dad, this time I will be your hero': 10-year-old boy in Malaysia donates bone marrow to save father's life

He is just 10, but Malaysian boy Leong Kun Xuan is determined to save his cancer-stricken father by donating his bone marrow.

"I'm not scared. I want to save daddy," he declared after doctors found him to be a match. "Daddy, don't be afraid, this time I'll be your hero!"

This emotional scene was shared online by Malaysian non-profit organisation One Hope Charity & Welfare on Friday (Nov 21) morning.

Kun Xuan's father, Leong Jun Hao, 29, was working in the Philippines when he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia in August. 

The single dad underwent two rounds of chemotherapy, but doctors determined that he needs a bone marrow transplant to survive.

Of all the potential doners tested, only his young son was a match.

"When the doctor told me that my 10-year-old son's bone marrow could save my life, I looked at him and felt an overwhelming ache in my chest. I couldn't say a word— I could only hold him tightly," Jun Hao told the charity.

According to One Hope, Jun Hao's insurance isn't enough his son's stem cell collection fees, and the father is also without a job and currently depends on friends and family for daily expenses.

Within two hours of the post, the organisation fully reached the fundraising goal of RM60,000 (S$18,970).

In follow-up posts on Friday, One Hope thanked donors and revealed that Kun Xuan had endured four days of stem-cell booster injections and two rounds of peripheral blood stem-cell collection.

"Daddy, look, I was very brave. So you must be brave too. Don't be afraid," he reportedly assured Jun Hao.

"To save his father, this child endured pain that even adults would struggle to bear," the charity wrote.

"The sharp sting and soreness from the injections, the fatigue and discomfort during the collection, and the long hours of staying completely still... They have come to this far together through courage, perseverance, and a miracle created by love."

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lim.kewei@asiaone.com