Five Siblings In Negeri Sembilan Recently Orphaned After Losing Both Parents To Covid-19 In A Week

By Ammar Haziq  •  08 Jun 2021 in News

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Before being admitted to Tuanku Ja’afar Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) due to Covid-19, Muhammad Haidir Rodzi’s mother left a message, which he still remembers clearly, that he should look after his four younger siblings.

23-year old Muhammad Haidir said it never crossed his mind that the message she left through that video call was his mother’s last words to him. As the eldest of the family, he will need to take over the responsibility of looking after his siblings after both of his parents succumbed to the virus within a week of each other.

It was devastating for the siblings when their father, Rodzi Tahar, 55, exhaled his last breath at Tampin Hospital on 31 May and six days later, their mother Nazita Idris, 45, passed away at the Tuanku Ja’afar Hospital.

“We are completely heartbroken but we accept this is a will of Allah. The saddest thing was that we could not pay our last respects for our parents, to touch or kiss them for the last time but our prayers are always with them,” he said when contacted by Bernama.

Muhammad Haidir and his four siblings, Muhammad Hairie, 20; Nurhairieka, 18; Muhammad Haiqiel, 13; and Muhammad Khierzamani, 7, are now living at the family home in Sunggala, Port Dickson.

On 26 May, Muhammad Haidir recalled that his father had a mild fever and decided to undergo a screening test at Port Dickson Hospital on 29 May before being confirmed positive the next day and sent to Tampin Hospital, but the family received devastating news when doctors informed their father had died at 4:30am the next day.

“The saddest thing was when my late father did not have time to talk to us after being admitted to the hospital. My father has a history of high blood pressure, diabetes and kidney disease while my mother has high blood pressure. So they were both at risk.

“We still don’t know where the source of the infection came from or the close contact,” he told Bernama.

Muhammad Haidir said his late mother went for the screening test on 30 May after experiencing symptoms such as fever and cough, and she was tested positive the next day. He said the siblings also tested positive for Covid-19 and quarantined at home, but they did not experience severe symptoms and have now recovered from the infection.

Citing his family’s heartbreaking story as an example, Muhammad Haidir urged the public to always follow the instructions issued by the government and do not underestimate the spread of the virus that can take your loved ones away.