Sheikh Muszaphar to be a father

PETALING JAYA: You have kept tabs on every detail of Datuk Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor's space exploration in October 2007 - now Malaysians will have the chance to follow the national astronaut on a different but no less important journey parenthood.

Happy Couple : Datuk Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor & beloved wife

“I've always loved children,” said the country's first Angkasawan, who will be a first-time father next month, when launching the parenting portal www.parenthood.my at a shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur Wednesday. With him was Datin Dr Halina Mohd Yunos whom he married last October.

The couple are signed on as spokesman for the website sponsored by CellSafe International, which specialises in stem cell banking.

“When we found out about the pregnancy, we were both very excited and grateful for the opportunity to raise a child together,” said Dr Halina.

As medical doctors, both of them are aware of stem cell banking through their work in hospitals, but they had difficulty identifying a suitable company until they came across CellSafe, said Dr Sheikh Muszaphar.

“More awareness is needed for stem-cell banking. In Taiwan, 50% of parents do it, but in Malaysia, it's only 2%. People need to know. Stem cells can treat more than 70 types of diseases,” he added.

Lau Kin Wai, CellSafe founder and executive director, said the company had always been on the lookout for a Malaysian who could become CellSafe's spokesperson.

When he found out that Dr Sheikh Muszaphar and his wife were expecting a child, and that both were doctors, he thought they were the perfect candidates.

The couple are also launching the parenting portal as a social networking forum that provides a platform and support group for new parents.

It covers, too, topics like baby's health, pregnancy health, maternity tips and post-maternity do's and don'ts.