SHAH ALAM, May 10 – After undergoing his third surgery yesterday afternoon, Harimau Malaya sensational winger Faisal Halim can now walk in his hospital room and is keen to return home, said Selangor FC Board member Datuk Seri Shahril Mokhtar.
Shahril said the 25-year-old Selangor FC player had reacted positively to the three-hour skin allograft procedure with skin grafts imported from Belgium, showing extraordinary spirit on the road to full recovery.
He said Faisal would undergo another follow-up surgery later, but for now, he needed sufficient rest to ensure the skin graft on his arm and ribs ‘harmonises’ with his body.
“Alhamdulillah (the third surgery) went smoothly. I was told Faisal is more cheerful and happier. I heard this morning he started walking in the room and went to the bathroom himself. That’s a very positive development. He wants to go home,” he said after visiting Faisal at a private hospital here on Friday.
He said Faisal is likely to be transferred from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) to the High Dependency Unit (HDU) in about a week if given the green light by the doctors.
Shahril said the team would continue to provide psychological support to Faisal, affectionately called Mickey, and his family.
“I was told it’s like planting grass (skin allograft surgery). When planting grass, we don’t put one field of grass in one go but do it in patches. So this skin allograft will grow slowly with time,” he said.
Meanwhile, Selangor FC sports medicine chief Dr Muhammad Hazwan Khair emphasised the importance of ensuring Faisal is free from infection complications, hence the need to closely monitor his diet to aid the healing process.
Faisal suffered fourth-degree burns after he was splashed with acid at a shopping mall in Petaling Jaya on May 5.
