Help me and my baby, says Dubai expat in limbo

May 3 update: R.A. was able to bring her baby home after paying the hospital Dh5,000. The mother and daughter are hoping to be repatriated as soon as possible.   DUBAI – It has been 10 days that R.A. (full name withheld) has been in and out of the hospital in Dubai, visiting her newborn who she can’t bring home while mounting bills keep them apart. The Filipina, 30, contacted Expatmedia.net on Tuesday (April 28) to share her plight in hopes that some Good Samaritans will help her overcome her desperate situation. “All I want is to return home with my baby,” R.A. told Expatmedia.net in between sobs at the nursery of a hospital in Dubai Investment Park (DIP) where baby girl Shiloh remains after she gave birth to her on April 19. R.A. had left her job as an administrator for a ship building company in Dubai to give birth in the Philippines but was stranded here when flights were grounded due to the coronavirus pandemic. To add to her woes, R.A. gave birth prematurely, hitting the Filipina with mounting hospital bills that her insurance policy could not support. Her baby was initially placed in a special care unit that cost Dh10,000 per day before she was moved to the nursery when her condition stabilized. “I was in the hospital alone, and stressed thinking about my future and the baby. I did not plan to get stranded here. Now, I don’t know where to get the money to pay the hospital. I can’t bring my baby home until the bills are paid,” she said. Since she was discharged from the hospital on April 20, R.A. has been going to the hospital to breastfeed her baby everyday. She has moved to a shared room in DIP, scrimping whatever money she has left, so she could be closer to her newborn. “My roommates have helped with my food while the hospital staff have been very sympathetic. I can’t thank them enough for their support,” she said. Despite trying to put on a brave face, R.A. says she hasn't slept properly for days. “I have no money, my savings aren’t enough. But I can’t leave my baby,” she said. Speaking to Expatmedia.net, a hospital representative said R.A.’s bills amounted to Dh27,500 as of Tuesday, with the bill going up by Dh1,135 for each day the baby stays in the hospital. R.A. is hoping her prayers will be heard and is knocking on kind hearts for help. “I know God will not forsake me and will give angels to help me in my time of need. Right now, I am desperate for help,” she said. ICA/Expat Media To support R.A. please email editorial@expatmedia.net.
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