A British couple are stuck in Tenerife after their baby was born three months premature while they were on holiday.
Cai Daniels, 26, and Alis Lloyd, 20, honeymooned in Tenerife for their last holiday together before the arrival of their new baby.
But Alis unexpectedly went into labour while abroad and her son George was born in a Spanish hospital.
Doctors have told them they need to 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 have launched a fundraising page in their name, which has already raised more than £3,000.
Cai Daniels (left), 26, and Alis Lloyd (right), 20, took a honeymoon to Tenerife for their last holiday together before the arrival of their new baby.
But Alis unexpectedly went into labour while abroad and her son George was born in a Spanish hospital.
Doctors have told them they need to stay in Tenerife for at least eight weeks until George, who weighed 3lb when he was born, is strong enough to fly home.
Cai had been playing a sunny round of golf when Alis first noticed the signs of labour.
They then went to two different hospitals before giving birth to George, who weighed 3lbs, at Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de Candelaria in Tenerife by Caesarean section.
She said: “It was supposed to be a relaxing break before we got down to business. We’ve just moved so we haven’t finished nursery yet. Obviously we thought we had another three months.”
Alis said the unexpected arrival was “stressful” because she was overseas and Cai was forced to wait in a corridor while her son was born, but George is now stable and well.
“The language barrier was a bit tricky. 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 go home he will need to breathe independently, gain weight and also feed independently with a bottle, not through a tube.
“We’ve been told there can be ups and downs and to keep an open mind. It just depends on how well you do.”
Cai said he was left in the dark while George was being born, which he described as “scary.”
She said: ‘I had no signal on my phone and my phone was dying. When Alis came down for the caesarean I wasn’t allowed in, I stood in the hallway waiting not knowing what was happening.
Alis said: ‘To go home, George will have to breathe independently, gain weight and also feed independently with a bottle, not through a tube.’
Cai said he was left in the dark while George was being born, which he described as “scary”.
“The next thing I saw was George walking around in an incubator with flashing lights, so I freaked out. Everyone was calling me to ask what was going on and I had no idea.”
But she was able to hold George five days after his birth. “It was amazing. It helped us realise for the first time that we actually had a baby, it gave us a big boost,” she said.
“They told us to keep reading to him, so I tried to quickly download the Kindle on my phone. All I could get was Harry Potter, so I sat there reading Harry Potter to a five-day-old baby.”
The couple, from Llanelli, West Wales, thanked those who wished them well and have already donated more than £3,000 towards the costs of their stay in Spain so they can remain together as a family.
Cai said: “We feel uncomfortable because we are not the kind of people who ask for help. We are very grateful. It is something beyond our best expectations.”
(tags to translate)dailymail