20-year-old Indian expatriate student who suffers from a severe phobia of syringes used in medical tests is struggling to renew her UAE visa. As a result, she is unable to travel back to the US to continue her education.
Denise Fernandes and her mother, Romona, have been frantically looking for ways to get Denise’s visa renewed for the past six months — since the time the visa had expired — but have not been successful as yet, they told Gulf News.
Romona, a single parent to Denise, described the last six months of her life as “a complete mess” as her trips back and forth to different health centres in Dubai, the residency department and Rashid Hospital have not brought her any closer to a solution.
She explained the origins of her daughter’s condition. Ten years ago, she was witness to her grandfather struggle for his life with an E-coli infection following a blood test. “The whole experience was traumatic for me,” said Denise. “I have since associated hospitals and needles with transmitting infections and [this fear] has worsened with time.”
