Childbirth is one of the most transforming things a human being can go through. It is equally as painful as it is beautiful. One couple decided that the typical hospital birth was not for them, so they took matters into their own hands. They flew 4000 miles to give birth on a paradise of a beach in the Caribbean. However, things took a turn for the worst as they have now claimed to be trapped in St Lucia because they were unable to prove the baby is theirs.
The Sea Is A Natural Painkiller
After having their first child, Clive, 51, and Iuliia Gurzhii, 38, decided that a hospital birth was not the ideal choice for their second. So, at 35 weeks pregnant, they packed their bags and waved goodbye to their now eight-year-old daughter whom they left in the care of her 24-year-old aunt, Kristina. What started as a magical free-birthing experience, has ended in a nightmare. They “feel like prisoners” in a tropical paradise because they have been unable to register their new baby.
In March 2023, Luliia had been doing some research on the perfect place to give birth. She eventually decided on a beach in Martinique. But, things didn’t go as they planned. The weather conditions were not suitable for birth, so they moved their birth to Grenada. But, Luliia’s water broke en route to Grenada while sailing the private boat they had procured. She gave birth at sea, just off the coast of Rodney Bay, with only her husband to help her through it.
“It was perfect. It was loving in the moment. She was able to connect with the universe. The sea gives off a frequency which is a natural painkiller. It was so much less painful for her,” said Clive. “She felt so much more comfortable. We went back to mother nature. It was a magical moment.”
They named their baby girl Louisa, whose birthday is now on the 23rd of April. She weighed 3kg and was perfectly healthy. Clive and Louisa were thrilled with the experience, even though it wasn’t on the beach as they had planned.
Trapped in Paradise
When they arrived at the Owen King European Union Hospital a few days later, they did not expect to have any problems. However, because they waited more than 24 hours after her birth, the hospital could not register her. So, they went to the registry office and filled in the forms. This meant they had to wait a few weeks for the birth certificate. Clive said, “We waited for a couple of weeks and the registry office came back and said they couldn’t do anything as the baby wasn’t born in the hospital and nobody witnessed the birth.”
Clive and Liliia turned to the UK High Commission for help, but they were told a DNA test was needed to prove the baby was theirs. They have done the test, but the results are still pending. All the while, Clive and Luliia’s credit card is piling up the debt, and they are running out of money. “We have been passed around different agencies and nobody will help us,” said Clive. “We are running out of money and we will soon run out of food. Now we are essentially stateless – we are more than abandoned.” Finally, he added, “We are prisoners in a country that we are not allowed to leave.”
Storm Season Was Upon Them
As if matters couldn’t get worse, the tropical paradise was fast turning into a stormy nightmare. The hurricane season was starting, and the safety of being on a boat was becoming thin. So, they had to move the boat to anchor in Grenada. Luliia is terrified of a hurricane hitting the island, which is a realistic thought because of the storm season. This has left her unable to sleep at night. “I can’t stop crying. We are begging for help — we have been abandoned,” she said in an interview with The Times.
Moreover, when the DNA results eventually come back and they can prove that Louisa is theirs so they can get her a passport, they have yet another issue. This time it is financial. “We don’t have enough money for flights,” explained Clive. “When we came over here, they were £600 each and now they are a few grand. I am £6,000 in debt on the card. We are running out of money.” He added, “We keep being called by the Foreign Office and they ask us if we have an update for them. They should be the ones helping us get out of here.”
Sources
- “PERFECT STORM. I flew 4000 miles to give birth on the beach & it’s turned into a nightmare – we’re trapped like prisoners in paradise.” The Sun. Ben Barry. August 10 2023.
- “A mother who flew 4,000 miles to give birth on an idyllic Caribbean beach says she’s being held ‘prisoner’ with her newborn, reports say.” Insider. Ella Hopkins. August 12, 2023.
- “Woman who flew 4,000 miles to give birth on beach now stranded with her baby.” TYLA. Katherine Sidnell. August 11, 2023.
