Related Articles
KUALA LUMPUR: Singer and actor Rahmad Tohak, 55, has shared his acceptance of the passing of his youngest child, Nur Ara Elisya, at approximately 2pm yesterday.
Nur Ara Elisya was born from his previous marriage to actress Ainina Ahmad B.
Rahmad revealed that Nur Ara Elisya had just celebrated her 16th birthday on June 18 and was in a cheerful state at the time.
“She was suffering from a chronic condition following spinal surgery last December. She spent three months in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), and her condition was critical then. She had great difficulty breathing and required a tracheostomy.
“However, she passed that critical phase. She recovered and was able to return home from Tuanku Muhriz Chancellor Hospital (HUKM) in March. We simply missed her scheduled appointment in May.
“So we set a new date for June. It was after this appointment that she returned to the hospital. Perhaps that’s where she contracted an infection, and then she started to develop a fever,” he told Harian Metro.
According to Rahmad, the day after the appointment, his daughter developed a fever.
The following day, she was rushed to the hospital, where doctors discovered her lungs were filled with phlegm.
“After a week in the ward, the doctors administered all sorts of antibiotics, but she didn’t improve. Her infection began to spread, partly because she had a previous case in the ICU that affected her lungs. So, there might have been new germs.
“She had to undergo various further tests to identify the specific germs and suitable antibiotics. Yet, she couldn’t be cured. Her lung condition became more chronic. The doctors readmitted her to the ICU on June 20.
“Nur Ara Elisya was experiencing severe breathing difficulties and required CPR to restart her heart, as her heart rate was critically low. On Saturday, her condition began to improve, and she stabilised again,” he explained.
Rahmad said that yesterday morning, his daughter again experienced breathing problems. With most of the senior doctors on leave, his daughter underwent CPR once more in the afternoon.
“The session lasted about 20 to 25 minutes. Afterwards, Ainina was called by the doctor, who informed her that Nur Ara Elisya could not recover and asked if they wished to continue treatment.
“So we decided that she had fought for too long. If she couldn’t make it after 25 minutes, what else could we do? I had already prepared Ainina, reminding her that we had given Nur Ara Elisya our very best.
“If anything happened to her, we shouldn’t force the doctors to do something our daughter couldn’t handle. She was incredibly strong and never complained. She always seemed to be smiling and cheerful, even when in pain.
“Ainina and I discussed it and told Nur Ara Elisya, ‘If you feel it’s time to leave, we are willing to let go and find peace’,” said the former singer of popular 1990s rock band Mega.
Rahmad and Ainina’s marriage was also blessed with another daughter, Nur Arieana.
Nur Ara Elisya’s body was laid to rest at the Kampung Kemensah Islamic Cemetery at 11am today.
The funeral was attended by fellow artistes, including Ameng Spring, Zamani Slam, Shahrul Ekamatra, Rashib Ekamatra, Amir Ukays, Afee Utopia, and many others.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
