Baby Tanya beats heart emergency in Dubai, family seeks help with Dh146,000 bill

A fragile start

Tanya Sangtani, born on 19 August 2026 alongside a twin sister, arrived weighing around 1.4 kilograms. Shortly after birth she developed breathing difficulties, leading doctors to discover a previously undetected heart condition. She was diagnosed with mixed-type Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Connection (TAPVC), a rare defect in which the veins carrying oxygen-rich blood from the lungs connect to the heart through abnormal pathways. In a healthy heart, these veins deliver oxygen-rich blood to the left side for circulation around the body; in Tanya’s case, the abnormal connections impede normal blood flow.

Her father, Durgesh Sangtani, an Indian expatriate who has lived in the UAE for 12 years and works in sales, said the family had no prior indication of the condition. “We had no idea Tanya had a heart defect because it had not been detected before she was born,” he told Gulf News.

A critical emergency

At about four weeks old, Tanya’s condition deteriorated sharply. She was admitted to hospital after three days of worsening breathing difficulties and cyanosis, a bluish skin discolouration caused by insufficient oxygen. Her oxygen saturation had fallen to approximately 70 per cent, and doctors identified respiratory failure. She was rushed to the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit for stabilisation.

Medical staff performed a balloon atrial septostomy, an emergency catheter-based procedure that enlarges an opening between the heart’s upper chambers to improve circulation. According to her medical report, Tanya responded well, showing marked improvements in breathing, heart pressures and overall condition. She was later able to breathe without extra oxygen, tolerate full oral feeds and begin gaining weight. However, the procedure was a temporary measure, not a permanent fix.

“While she has shown incredible strength and is temporarily stable, this was only a temporary fix,” said Kamal Sangtani, Tanya’s uncle. “She urgently needs a definitive open-heart surgical repair in the coming months once she grows stronger.”

The road ahead: surgery and costs

Tanya has since been discharged and is recovering at home under close family monitoring. But she still requires corrective open-heart surgery, which the family estimates will cost between Dh250,000 and Dh300,000. Meanwhile, an existing medical bill from her hospital stay stands at Dh147,065.80, of which Dh146,515.80 remains unpaid after initial payments. The charges cover emergency stabilisation, intensive care and the cardiac catheterisation procedure.

The family’s medical insurance has coverage limits and cannot cover the full cost. Although they have considered travelling to India, where the surgery would be cheaper, Durgesh Sangtani said air travel poses significant risks for his daughter. “Going to India and getting the surgery done there would be cheaper but we would preferably like to get it done in the UAE. Air travel is highly risky considering her case and needs special arrangements. That’s why we are trying our best to get it done here,” he said.

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