[Top: Muhammad Shahril's mother, Madam Roslinda, and his stepfather, Mr Mohamed Afandi.]

By Chong Shin Yen

HIS parents had promised to buy him a video game player if he scored more than 180 in his Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE).

Muhammad Shahril Izhar Kamarudin (top) exceeded that target by two points when he got his results on 20 Nov.

That same day, his parents bought him a limited-edition red Sony PSP. The hand-held console, which cost $455, was also meant to be his birthday present.

Sadly, he hardly got to play the PSP.

Ten days later, on Sunday, Muhammad Shahril was dead. It was also the day he turned 12.

He had contracted hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) earlier.

The death certificate listed him as dying of cardio-respiratory failure, pending further investigations.

If tests confirm HFMD was the cause, it would be the second such death this year.

A 3-year-old boy died of HFMD in August, the first fatality since 2001.

Muhammad Shahril's stepfather, Mr Mohamed Afandi Ahwan, 38, told The New Paper that small red spots started appearing on the boy's face about three weeks ago.

Speaking at their Jurong West flat, he said: 'He was also running a fever and we took him to see a doctor at a nearby clinic.

'The doctor told us that it was an allergy and gave him some medicine so that his fever would subside.'

The boy's condition improved after a few days and he insisted on joining his teachers and classmates on a two-day trip to Malacca that weekend.

'It was the last time his Primary 6 class was getting together for an excursion. He was very excited and was looking forward to the trip,' said Mr Mohamed Afandi, who is self-employed.

'We didn't want to let him go although he looked like he was recovering, but we gave in after he pleaded with us.

'We made sure he didn't have chicken pox or any other contagious diseases before agreeing to let him go. He was also feeling better by then.'

But after he returned from the trip, more red dots and rashes had appeared on his palms, legs and feet.

Some of the red dots became blisters and the usually active boy also grew easily tired and lost his appetite.

Said Mr Mohamed Afandi: 'He also had ulcers and sores in his mouth and throat which made it painful for him to swallow food.

'He couldn't eat much during the past two weeks and had lost weight.'

Seeing that his stepson's condition had worsened, Mr Mohamed Afandi took him to Jurong Polyclinic.

It was there that the doctor diagnosed that Muhammad Shahril had HFMD and gave him antibiotics.

'We were told that HFMD is quite common and that there is no treatment,' Mr Mohamed Afandi said.

'We let him rest as much as possible. Although we were very worried, we never thought that it was life-threatening.'

Things took a turn for the worse on Saturday night.

Muhammad Shahril was so uncomfortable he could not sleep at all.

The boy, who shares a room with his grandmother and the maid, kept tossing and turning in bed.

Then, at about 6am on Sunday, he fainted while his stepfather was helping him into the toilet.

Said Mr Mohamed Afandi: 'I quickly applied ointment on his forehead and he woke up after five minutes.

'He seemed all right later, but at about 10am, I noticed that he was breathing very heavily.'

He and his wife, Madam Roslinda Mohamad Ali, 34, drove the boy to KK Women's and Children's Hospital.

On the way there, Muhammad Shahril lost consciousness again in his mother's arms and his heartbeat got weaker.

Mr Mohamed Afandi said that doctors managed to resuscitate his stepson at the accident and emergency department and he was rushed to the intensive care unit (ICU).

(Page 1 of 2)But at about 1.30pm, 10 minutes after being warded in the ICU, the boy died.

Never got cake

Madam Roslinda, an administrative executive, cried as she recounted how they had intended to surprise her son with his favourite chocolate cake that day.

'We wanted to celebrate his birthday and had made plans to go to Malacca again this weekend,' she said.

'But he left us before I could even buy him the cake or sing him a birthday song.'

Muhammad Shahril's biological father died in a road accident seven years ago.

The boy had two brothers, aged 8 and 11, and two stepsisters, 3 and 2.

Madam Roslinda recalled how her eldest child was upset and disappointed with his PSLE score.

She said: 'He told me he could have done a lot better. He was very upset that he couldn't get into the express stream because he was short of six points.

'But I encouraged him and told him that mummy and daddy were satisfied with his results.'

Madam Roslinda then went to buy her son a Sony PSP that day.

'I had promised to buy the PSP for him if he had scored more than 180. I specially bought him the limited-edition PSP that was red because I knew he liked red,' said a sobbing Madam Roslinda.

'It was also his birthday present. He was very happy and broke into a wide smile. But he didn't get to play much as he was ill and feeling weak then.'

The active boy also liked playing soccer and hockey.

'We didn't think it (HFMD) was fatal. We thought he would pull through. He was still so young...'

Muhammad Shahril was buried at Choa Chu Kang Muslim cemetery yesterday afternoon.

HFMD QUICK FACTS

• NUMBER OF VICTIMS

About 12,000 children caught hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) this year.

Close to 30 per cent of infections were caused by the virulent enterovirus 71, or EV71.

• ABOUT THE DISEASE

Usually a mild childhood illness that causes rash and blister spots on hands, feet and buttocks, and sores in the mouth and throat.

About 80 viruses responsible, but EV71 is particularly feared as it is behind most of the seven deaths during the 2001-2001 outbreak here.

• INFECTIOUS?

Yes, it spreads quickly among young children who share toys, which many put in their mouths.

The virus is passed through bodily fluids like saliva.

• CONTROLLING THE SPREAD

A school or childcare centre will be temporarily shut down if the virus is active for more than 15 days and more than 13 children at the school or centre are affected.

Ministry of Health tightened its rules after a rise in the number of EV71 cases.

• FIGHTING THE VIRUS

Good personal hygiene can cut transmission of the EV71virus.

Parents are urged to consult a doctor early if their child is suspected to have HFMD.

This story was first published in The New Paper on Dec 2, 2008.