Gran fights for life in Dubai with sepsis after falling ill while visiting pregnant daughter…as family beg ‘we need her’
THE family of a Brit gran who is fighting for her life on a Dubai hospital bed has issued a desperate plea saying they “need her” and that she is “too young to go”.
Lesley Poots, from Northern Ireland, is currently on life support after falling ill with sepsis, just days after visiting her pregnant daughter in the UAE.
She flew to Dubai on September 10 to help her daughter, who was “going through a challenging pregnancy“, out with childcare, to look after two granddaughters.
The entire household was “stricken with a sickness bug” during Lesley’s visit but the nan was the last to show symptoms.
Lesley fell ill on September 15 but her health took “a turn for the worst” on September 20 when she was admitted to hospital for fluids.
She was released shortly after but found “unconscious and unresponsive” in bed by her daughters and rushed to A&E where “world class doctors” later confirmed she had sepsis.
Six health workers spent two hours stabilising her with IV drips, according to The Belfast Telegraph.
Her family are thankful that paramedics acted as swiftly as they did as “doctors advised she was minutes to an hour away from passing when we found her” if they hadn’t.
Lesley is currently on a ventilator and suffering from severe liver failure and has started kidney dialysis, according to daughter Lisa Glass who has set up a GoFundMe.
Lisa explained her mum has no private health insurance and the family must pay the “mounting hospital bills“.
She claims they’d already forked out £15,000 in the first 24 hours but this was only so Lesley could be seen in A&E and admitted into ICU.
Lisa said: “We were informed she’s too sick for us to stay with her and had to leave.
“This is mum’s worst nightmare, I know she would be scared and wouldn’t want to be left alone.”
She explained that she had to fly back home today but that the next 12-24 hours are “critical” for her mum’s recovery.
Lisa added: “We are embarrassed to ask for help, but right now I’d do anything to save her and spend more time with our mum.
“Right now we suspect medical bills to be in the £000,000s and if mum recovers, we will have to fly her back to the UK.
“It takes the financial burden of family who will do what it takes to make sure we have funds in place for her to fight this.
“Please pray for our Mum. She is too young to go and we need her.”
Over £55,000 of the £100,000 goal has been raised since the fundraiser was launched on Sunday morning.
Lesley’s daughter Lauren told The Belfast Telegraph: “It’s been honestly really overwhelming.
“I was really embarrassed, as the fundraiser was not a route I would ever want to take. But everyone has been so kind and so generous already.
“We are eternally grateful for the funds we’ve already received and incredibly lucky that people are so generous, and hopefully we’re in people’s prayers.”