Baby Alyssia was born eight weeks prematurely on June 12, weighing just 720 grams—barely larger than her father's hand. Her birth in Tbilisi, Georgia, turned a planned family holiday into a medical emergency, forcing the family to postpone their relocation to London.
Emergency Birth and Critical Condition
Gawaine Elaine's wife experienced severe preeclampsia and high blood pressure, causing fetal growth restriction. At 31 weeks, she felt cramps, initially dismissed as Braxton Hicks. When they persisted, an ambulance was called at 1pm; by 3pm, Alyssia was born. She came out 'blue' and not breathing, requiring resuscitation—a 'terrifying' experience for the family.
Alyssia was placed on a ventilator and transferred to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at a government hospital in Tbilisi. There, she received blood transfusions, steroids to develop her organs, and round-the-clock care. She remains at level 3 critical status and is expected to stay in the incubator for at least two and a half months.
Financial Strain and Fundraiser
The family, originally from South Africa, holds an ancestry visa for the UK and had planned to move to Wanstead, where Gawaine had a job lined up. However, because they are not Georgian citizens and only hold transit visas, they have no state medical coverage. Insurance did not cover the birth, leaving them with mounting medical bills.
Daily care costs approximately £320. Gawaine started a fundraiser to cover expenses. He will have to return to the UK alone to work and earn money, leaving his wife and Alyssia behind. 'We're gonna have to split up for a little while so I can go to the UK and set everything up, work and help pay these bills,' he said.
Family's Emotional Struggle
Gawaine and his wife have four other children, none of whom had birth complications. 'My wife cries about the situation and tries to keep busy. I spend most of my time with the kids trying to stay strong for them,' he added. They show the children pictures of Alyssia and reassure them that the doctors are handling it.
If Alyssia recovers faster or medical bills come under the fundraiser target, Gawaine pledged: 'We give our absolute word that every single extra pound raised will be donated directly to local neonatal charities to help other vulnerable premature babies fighting for their lives in the NICU.'
