Kuantan:Dr. Siti Hawa Apandi, the first Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) patient in Malaysia to complete all levels of higher education at Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA), has died.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, UMPSA expressed condolences to Siti Hawa's family in a Facebook post, acknowledging her as an alumna of the university's Faculty of Computing. She was also recognized by the Malaysia Book of Records (MBOR) as the "First Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Patient to Complete Continuous Higher Education Studies From a Single University."

Siti Hawa had been diagnosed with SMA, a rare genetic disease affecting muscle function, since childhood. Despite being confined to a wheelchair, she pursued her academic journey with determination, beginning with a Diploma programme at UMPSA in 2007. She went on to earn a Bachelor's Degree in Software Engineering, a Master's Degree in Computer Science, and ultimately a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Her academic excellence was celebrated with several awards, including the Heitech Industry Excellence Award 2013 and the Abdullah Bin Ummi Maktum Inclusive Excellence Award during her PhD studies. Last year, she was hospitalized for a bacterial infection and spent approximately 50 days in the intensive care unit (ICU) of Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital. Dr. Siti Hawa passed away at her residence at the age of 37.