Baby Dennis entered the world prematurely in March 2023, arriving at just 28 weeks and weighing a mere 970 grams. His mother, Rizalie, encountered a harrowing situation during a routine checkup when her blood pressure readings spiralled out of control, unresponsive to immediate medication. To safeguard both Rizalie and Baby Dennis, doctors urgently recommended a C-section.
Merely three days after Baby Dennis’ birth, doctors found perforations through his large and …
Read more
Baby Dennis’s Journey
Baby Dennis entered the world prematurely in March 2023, arriving at just 28 weeks and weighing a mere 970 grams. His mother, Rizalie, encountered a harrowing situation during a routine checkup when her blood pressure readings spiralled out of control, unresponsive to immediate medication. To safeguard both Rizalie and Baby Dennis, doctors urgently recommended a C-section.
Merely three days after Baby Dennis’ birth, doctors found perforations through his large and small intestines, and critical surgery became necessary to create a stoma to facilitate his bodily functions. Baby Dennis required extensive monitoring in the NICU until June 2023. Presently, Baby Dennis undergoes stoma bag changes every one to three days.
The stoma was initially intended as a temporary measure until Baby Dennis reached the target weight of 4 kilograms, at which point surgery could be performed to close the stoma. Although Baby Dennis achieved this milestone in January 2024, his surgery was postponed to March due to a viral infection. Unfortunately, in March, he experienced severe diarrhoea and vomiting after pre-operation procedures, leading to a 10-day hospital stay, which involved the insertion of a tube into his nose to relieve his gastric ailments. The surgery has now been rescheduled for August 2024.
Supporting Baby Dennis’s Recovery
As a non-Singaporean, Baby Dennis’s intestinal stoma surgery is estimated to cost $32,014. In the event of complications, the expenses could escalate to $44,637.
Ray of Hope aims to raise $44,637* to cover the maximum cost of Baby Dennis’s surgery. In the absence of complications during the surgery, any surplus funds from this campaign will be allocated to post-surgery care, including follow-up appointments, medications, and medical supplies.
Your contributions will empower Baby Dennis to embrace a higher quality of life, free from the physical burden of a stoma bag. Following the surgery, Dennis can return to the Philippines to be with his family, and his father can resume work to stabilize the family’s finances.
* The fundraising target is subject to change based on successful alternative financial support and the complexity of the surgery.
An appeal from Rizalie and Dennis: Please help our baby, Dennis Jr., receive surgery
May we knock on the doors of your kind hearts?
We are reaching out to you with a tense heart and a desperate plea for assistance. We are fortunate to have a lovely son, Dennis Jr., who arrived on March 27, 2023. He introduced happiness and thrill into our lives but also presented us with unforeseen challenges.
Baby Dennis was born prematurely at 28 weeks, weighing 970 grams, due to the diagnosis of a life-threatening pregnancy complication known as severe pre-eclampsia, a condition involving high blood pressure and either protein in the urine or low blood platelet count. Looking back, I realize that we narrowly escaped a dangerous situation, and I am grateful that both of us survived.
By the third day in the NICU, it was discovered that our baby had developed intestinal perforations, which required major surgery to create a temporary opening known as a stoma in his large intestine. His colon, which normally produces excrement, now releases waste through a stoma instead of the anus.
Seeing Baby Dennis battle with his condition each day brings us sorrow, but he is a resilient and miraculous warrior. He brings joy to us daily and enjoys discovering new things. He doesn’t let the stoma bag on his tummy stop him from reaching developmental milestones. He recently passed the one-year mark and enjoys eating bananas, eggs, bread, apples and pumpkins. However, his joy of discovering new foods is restricted as he cannot eat green leafy vegetables and certain fruits that will cause a large amount of stoma output or diarrhoea in his condition.
As parents, our only desire is to give our child the life he deserves and to let him experience a normal childhood. However, we cannot do this on our own due to insufficient financial resources. I am still covering the expenses from his previous hospitalisations, NICU days, outpatient follow-up appointments, and my own hospital bills in Singapore. As a foreigner holding an S Ppass who is not eligible for government medical assistance, I feel limited in my choices and helpless – like I’m up against a wall with no way out.
We humbly seek your help in raising money for Baby Dennis Jr.’s upcoming surgery on August 28 to cover his medical costs, including intestinal closure. My spouse, Dennis, is a dependent pass holder. He dedicates his days and nights to caring for our son while I’m at work, sacrificing his time and energy to ensure our baby gets the best care.
Your generosity, no matter the size, will help us reach our goal and ease our financial burden. Please donate to Baby Dennis Jr.’s upcoming surgery, share our story on social media, or keep us in your thoughts and prayers. Your support is valuable and could allow my baby to live a pain-free, active and healthy life. Your kindness will always be remembered in Baby Dennis’ journey and make a lasting impact on our lives and always be remembered in Baby Dennis’ journey.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts,
Rizalie & Dennis
More About the Family
Rizalie has been employed as a Registered Nurse in the A&E department in Singapore since 2016, while her husband, Dennis, previously worked in the F&B industry. They were a stable working couple in Singapore with plans to return to the Philippines to give birth to Baby Dennis Jr. due to Singapore’s high costs of living. However, their plans took an unexpected turn when Rizalie’s pregnancy complications arose, preventing their departure from Singapore. The family has since been grounded in Singapore, facing escalating medical costs that exceed their financial means. Baby Dennis’s caregiving needs have required Dennis to become a full-time caregiver, causing Rizalie to take up additional shifts to manage the high medical expenses.
Staying in Singapore is crucial for Baby Dennis’s immediate medical needs, as returning to the Philippines would entail starting the treatment process from scratch. Additionally, having the follow-up surgery to close the stoma performed in Singapore provides continuity of care. Rizalie also has concerns about the potential risks of taking Baby Dennis home to the Philippines before he receives the necessary treatment for his condition.
Despite the emotional and financial challenges, the family has displayed remarkable resilience and has actively sought support for Baby Dennis. Rizalie is running a separate fundraising campaign to clear her medical arrears.
Read Less
September 9, 2024
An Update from Rizalie
Baby Dennis has developed a weakened immune system and has been diagnosed with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). As a result, he will be receiving continued monitoring in the high dependency unit for further observation. RSV is a significant contributor to respiratory illness in children, often presenting as a common cold. In some cases, however, it……
Read more
September 6, 2024
Second Update: A Message from Rizalie
Baby Dennis is progressing positively following his recent surgery. Despite his current circumstances, he manages to maintain a smile. He is gradually adjusting to milk feeding as well. We humbly ask for continued support and prayers for baby Dennis during this time. We are incredibly grateful for the blessings we have received and extend our……
Read more
September 2, 2024
Update: A Message from Rizalie
Baby Dennis has been moved to the high dependency care unit. His urine catheter has been taken out, and his stomach wound has been dressed. He is currently receiving hourly aspiration of his gastric contents through a nasal tube. He is feeling pain, discomfort, and hunger as he have been fasting since August 27th. Please……
Read more
August 29, 2024
Baby Dennis' Update (Post-Surgery)
Dear Donors,
We would like to share the good news that after spending 6 hours in the operating theatre yesterday, Baby Dennis’ surgery was a success! He is now in the neonatal intensive care unit for further monitoring. Rizalie and her family would like to express their gratitude for your support and prayers.
Read more
Updates
An Update from Rizalie
Sep 9, 2024
Baby Dennis has developed a weakened immune system and has been diagnosed with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). As a result, he will be receiving continued monitoring in the high dependency unit for further observation.
RSV is a significant contributor to respiratory illness in children, often presenting as a common cold. In some cases, however, it can progress to infect the lungs and respiratory system, leading to breathing difficulties in infants and young children.
We kindly ask for your continued vigilance and care during this time.
Best regards,
Rizalie and Dennis
Second Update: A Message from Rizalie
Sep 6, 2024
Baby Dennis is progressing positively following his recent surgery. Despite his current circumstances, he manages to maintain a smile.
He is gradually adjusting to milk feeding as well.
We humbly ask for continued support and prayers for baby Dennis during this time.
We are incredibly grateful for the blessings we have received and extend our deepest thanks to those who have assisted us in our time of need.
May God bless all those who have helped us.
From the family of Baby Dennis
Update: A Message from Rizalie
Sep 2, 2024
Baby Dennis has been moved to the high dependency care unit. His urine catheter has been taken out, and his stomach wound has been dressed. He is currently receiving hourly aspiration of his gastric contents through a nasal tube.
He is feeling pain, discomfort, and hunger as he have been fasting since August 27th.
Please keep us in your prayers for a quick recovery and healing. We appreciate all the support, prayers, and assistance we have received.
Even though we may not be able to personally thank everyone, we will always remember the kindness we have been shown.
We want to give a big thank you to the Ray of Hope family as Baby Dennis would not have been able to have this surgery without their help.
With love,
Rizalie, Dennis, and Baby Dennis Jr.
Baby Dennis' Update (Post-Surgery)
Aug 29, 2024
Dear Donors,
We would like to share the good news that after spending 6 hours in the operating theatre yesterday, Baby Dennis’ surgery was a success! He is now in the neonatal intensive care unit for further monitoring. Rizalie and her family would like to express their gratitude for your support and prayers.
Anonymous donated
S$100
Get well soon!
21 hours ago
Zhi Yong O donated
S$50
Get well soon <3
3 days ago
Anonymous donated
S$50
Get well soon 😍
4 days ago
Donors (38)
100% of your donation goes to After his miracle birth, Baby Dennis still needs your help Give hope now!
Ray of Hope has a stringent 3-step verification process to
verify each beneficiary’s identity and ensure their need is genuine.
3 Step
Verification
1. Conduct Home Visits
Family $ financial history
Social assistance (if any)
Needs
2. Check Documents
Payslips
Bank & CPF statements
Medical and other records
3. Contact Stakeholders
Due diligence check with Ministry of Social and Family
Development (MSF)
Other non-profit helping beneficiary
Donation Back
Guarantee
Our campaigns undergo a stringent verification process. In the unlikely event of
any
discrepancy, rest assured that your donation will be fully refunded.