Uplifting spirit
Survivors of Covid-19 share heartwarming tributes to frontliners
Ten more days and it would be 63 years since Malaysia gained independence. See how a number of Covid-19 survivors mark the special occasion with a remarkable video that has gone viral.
PETALING JAYA: Imagine if someone saved your life, yet you didn’t get to thank them or even see their face.
That’s the reality for thousands of recovered Covid-19 patients in Malaysia, and that became the inspiration for Reunited, a national day film by R.AGE and EcoWorld which has taken social media by storm.
“Even if I saw (my doctors) on the street, I wouldn’t be able to recognise them because they were in full PPE (personal protective equipment),” said Qalbie Ghani, who was treated at Hospital Tumpat, Kelantan, for 15 days.
Qalbie was one of 10 Covid-19 survivors who shared their harrowing experiences with the illness – and their heartwarming tributes to the frontliners – in Reunited.
“They treated us with such care. In fact, I think Malaysian Covid-19 patients are lucky because we have such dedicated frontliners,” Qalbie said.
In just five days, the 10-minute video was viewed nearly 800,000 times on Facebook and Instagram, with over 25,000 shares and hundreds of positive comments.
The video ends with an emotional surprise for each of the survivors – which R.AGE deputy executive producer Ian Yee was quick to remind us not to spoil.
“We’ve worked hard to keep the surprise under wraps for a few weeks because we hope people can experience it themselves when they watch the film,” said Yee, who warned that “there will be tears”.
EcoWorld had collaborated with R.AGE to produce Reunited for its #AnakAnakMalaysia campaign with Star Media Group.
The annual campaign celebrates Malaysia’s strength in unity and diversity, and usually culminates with the highly popular #AnakAnakMalaysia Walk.
“Although we could not have our usual #AnakAnakMalaysia Walk this year, the spirit of unity continues to resonate in this year’s campaign.
“Our theme of ‘Bersama Demi Generasi Masa Depan’ reminds us that sustaining a community for generations to come is a collective effort by all,” said Datuk Chang Khim Wah, president and CEO of Eco World Development Group Bhd.
As part of the project, R.AGE set up the Reunited Fund, managed by NGOHub, to raise funds for the many NGOs and charities supporting underprivileged communities during the pandemic.
“It is indeed heartening to hear stories of #AnakAnakMalaysia doing their bit to help those in need through Reunited.
“We can all do our bit to lend a hand. I am delighted that R.AGE has set up a fund for this as no challenge is too big to overcome when we stand together as a nation,” Chang said.
Watch Reunited and find out how you can donate to the fund at bit.ly/ reunitedfb.