Baby born with paralysed vocal cords; dad seeks help
Sharjah family faces mounting hospital bills
The distraught parents of a one-month-old baby girl with a life-threatening case are appealing for funds to pay huge hospital bills at a Sharjah hospital.
Baby Khadijah Ahmad, currently under treatment at University Hospital Sharjah, opened her eyes to the world suffering from a harsh vibrating noise when breathing as a result of a paralysis in her vocal cords and larynx.
She developed respiratory failure and had to be kept in an incubator following a tracheostomy procedure in which a tube was inserted in her windpipe in order to help her breathe.
Her father Ahmad Shahzad, 33, from Pakistan, who only earns Dh5,600 as an accountant can only think about seeing his second daughter’s health condition improve so he can finally take her home.
Doctors have informed Shahzad that his daughter’s vocal cords will improve as she gains more weight and grows, but this could take six months or more and the hospital bills keep mounting.
“My baby also has air leaking from her lungs and facial paralysis, and she is being treated for that. Without oxygen she cannot survive. We need to wait, monitor her case and it will take time until she grows,” said Shahzad, who lives in Ajman.
The father of two said he struggled to find a hospital who can treat his daughter at first and then he was told his wife’s insurance would only cover a small portion of the treatment. “I also made a basic insurance for baby Khadijah and they keep telling me it’s under evaluation,” he said.
Gulf News reviewed hospital records which were provided by Shahzad. They showed that the baby’s treatment at the hospital between September 14, when she was admitted, up until October 21, cost Dh130,016. The documents also showed that the child will need further hospitalisation for at least two months. They estimated that the cost of treatment, from October 21 to December 20, will be Dh227,000.
“I believe in the generosity of the people in UAE and I know they will help me. I believe my daughter will be fine,” said Shahzad.