No 1 Fan
Twelve-year-old Aiman Hafiz Abdul Halim is all smiles with his Manchester United VIPs surrounding him for a photograph. The four from the Manchester United team were Michael Carrick, John O’Shea, Paul Scholes and Ben Foster.
VIP Guest...Aiman was the VIP for the day with the Manchester United team (from left : Paul Scholes, Ben Foster, John O'Shea and Michael Carrick), TM group marketing VP Sherene Azura Azli and executive VP (consumer) Jeremy Kung looking on.
BEING wheelchair bound since he was nine has not stopped twelve-year-old Aiman Hafiz Abdul Halim from becoming perhaps one of Manchester United’s most ardent fan in Malaysia. He watches their matches on TV and spends time playing computer simulated football games.
He has harbored a wish to see them one day but never really thought it would actually become a reality especially with his medical condition.
Aiman was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD - http://www.mda.org/publications/fa-dmdbmd-what.html ) at the age 8 and was wheelchair bound since 9 years old. DMD is a slowly debilitating familial disease which affects boys and causes progressive muscle weakness finally affecting the muscles of breathing hence causing slow death usually during their teenage years.
Just last week, he was tragically diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia. Doctors have not really done further invasive investigations to confirm this as the parents were still undecided whether to proceed with leukemia treatment or not if it were proven true.
But see Manchester United Aiman did today (July 17), when the Children’s Wish Society of Malaysia was notified of Aiman’s condition and his wish.
“Aiman had asked for a PSP game set. This we agreed we would get him as part of our wish granting commitment.”
“We also found out that he is a Manchester United fan and since the team was going to be in town, we contacted everyone and anyone we knew to ask if they could help us realise this little boy’s wish,” CWS board member Lim Ai Mee said.
Just at the eleventh hour, Subang Jaya resident Afendi Deniel who was part of the event organising team engaged by Telekom Malaysia Berhad said he would give it a try with the host.
Aiman was presented a Manchester United jersey by TM group marketing VP Sherene Azura Azli while all the four players autographed a poster of the team which they then presented to Aiman.
Aiman who was obviously overwhelmed by all the attention was shy and smiled occassionally for media photographers.
He did whisper softly, “Thank You.”