They need 74.3 thousand dirhams for the cost of their treatment for a year

Abu Sheikha is unable to treat his two daughters with Thalassemia.

"Abu Sheikha" is unable to manage 74,386 dirhams for the cost of treating his two daughters (Sheikha - 19 years old) and (Fatima - 17 years old) from Thalassemia since birth, and they receive treatment at Ibrahim Obaidullah Hospital in Ras Al Khaimah.

The father told "Emirates Today": "I have three sons, two of them have thalassemia, and the youngest child is healthy, and since my wife's pregnancy with my first daughter (Sheikha) I have been keen to follow her medical appointments monthly, and all the examinations and analyzes of the fetus were very reassuring."

He continued: "In May 2002, my wife gave birth to our first child (Sheikha) with a natural birth, and she did not suffer from any health problems, and when she completed two years, we noticed yellowing in her skin and the emergence of the front and jaw bone and her inability to drink milk, so I transferred her to Sheikh Khalifa Hospital in Ajman. And after seeing the doctor and conducting medical tests and laboratory tests, he told us that she had thalassemia and needed a blood transfusion as soon as possible.”

He explained that his daughter stayed in the hospital for 25 days, receiving treatment and care until her health condition stabilized, and the doctor told him that her condition needed a monthly blood transfusion and oral medications, and treatment is available in the hospital for free, indicating that he was able to cover the period of his wife and daughter's stay in the hospital.

He continued, "When my wife became pregnant with the second child (Fatima) in 2003, the treating doctor told us in the fourth month that our daughter would be born with thalassemia, like her sister," explaining that before pregnancy, she had not performed the required tests to find out whether the child would be born healthy or infected with thalassemia. Because the father and mother carry the same disease.

He added, "I was satisfied with God's decree and destiny, and I was constantly following up on my daughters' condition and was keen to make all their monthly medical appointments to get treatment."

Abu Sheikha said that the hospital administration told him that he had to pay a sum of money for blood transfusions and monthly medicines for his two daughters, and the required amount exceeded his financial capacity, and he is the only breadwinner for the family. The rest is spent on the necessities of life.

He stated that he took his two daughters to Ibrahim bin Hamad Obaidullah Hospital in the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, after their health deteriorated due to their delay in taking treatment, as the hospital covered the cost of blood transfusion, and a charitable organization in the country covered the cost of medicines for a year.

He continued, "I cannot save the cost of treating my two daughters, which amounts to 74,386 dirhams for a year, and save their lives from the disease that is threatening them. He dreams of seeing his two daughters live a normal life, and he hopes that the hands of good people will reach out to them to arrange the required amount of treatment.

• «Abu Sheikha» works in the private sector, with a monthly salary of 6000 dirhams.