A British couple are stuck in Tenerife after their son was born three months premature during their holiday.
Cai Daniels, 26, and Alis Lloyd, 20, jetted off to Tenerife for a babymoon to celebrate their last holiday together before the new baby was born.
But Alis unexpectedly went into labor while abroad and her son George was born in a Spanish hospital.
Doctors have told them they must stay in Tenerife for at least eight weeks until George is strong enough to fly home, but the couple say their insurance will not cover all their bills during this time.
Friends and supporters have rallied to help the new parents and set up a fundraising page on their behalf, which has already raised more than £3,000.
Cai Daniels (left), 26, and Alis Lloyd (right), 20, flew to Tenerife for a ‘babymoon’ holiday to enjoy their last vacation together before the new arrival
But Alis unexpectedly went into labor while abroad and her son George was born in a Spanish hospital
Doctors have told them they must stay in Tenerife for at least eight weeks until George, who weighed 1.5kg at birth, is strong enough to fly home.
Cai was just playing a round of golf in the sun when Alis noticed the first signs of contractions.
They then went to two different hospitals before giving birth to George, weighing 1.3 kilos, by caesarean section at the University Hospital of Nuestra Señora de Candelaria in Tenerife.
He said: ‘It was meant to be a relaxing break before we got into gear. We’ve just moved house so we haven’t finished the nursery yet. We thought we had three months, of course.’
Alis said the unexpected arrival was “stressful” as they were abroad and Cai was forced to wait in a corridor while their son was born. However, George is now in a stable condition and doing well.
“The language barrier was a bit of a struggle. I couldn’t see Cai, and Cai couldn’t see me,” she said. “I didn’t know anything about the baby, and no one could understand me.”
Alis added: ‘To come home, he needs to be able to breathe on his own, gain weight and drink on his own from a bottle, not through a tube.
“We’ve been told it can be ups and downs and to keep an open mind. It depends on how well he does.”
Cai said he was left in the dark when George was born, which he described as “scary.”
He said: ‘I had no signal on my phone and my phone was dead. When Alis went down for the caesarean I wasn’t allowed in, I just sat in the corridor waiting without knowing what was going on.
Alis said: ‘To come home, George needs to be able to breathe on his own, gain weight and drink on his own from a bottle – not through a tube’
Cai said he was left in the dark when George was born, which he described as “scary”
“The next thing I saw was George walking past in an incubator with lights flashing, so that was scary. Everyone was calling me asking what was going on and I had no idea.”
But he was able to hold George five days after he was born. “It was so amazing. It helped us realize for the first time that we actually have a baby, it gave us such a boost,” he said.
“We were told to keep reading to him, so I quickly tried to download Kindle on my phone. All I could get was Harry Potter, so I was sitting there reading Harry Potter to a five-day-old baby.”
The couple, from Llanelli, West Wales, thanked well-wishers who have already donated more than £3,000 towards the cost of their stay in Spain so they can stay together as a family.
Cai said: ‘We felt uncomfortable because we are not the type of people to ask for help. We are so grateful. It is beyond our wildest dreams.’