#NextStopZero: Follow safety rules, pleads UAE-based family who lost breadwinner to Covid-19

Dubai - Mohamed Eissa and his five siblings are still grieving their father's death but they have to stay strong - as their mother, a breast cancer patient, is also fighting the virus.

The Covid-19 pandemic has affected all of us in one way or another. Some of us are mourning the loss of a loved one, while others are trying to make ends meet after losing their jobs or taking a pay cut. The UAE is gradually restoring normalcy even as it reminds residents that the threat is far from over. Through this two-week series, Khaleej Times will feature residents who have endured a loss due to the virus, to remind you that the alarming surge in daily cases is more than just a number. #NextStopZero is a rallying call to get the community to adopt safe practices so as to bring down the infection rate.
The family of a paramedic has appealed to residents to follow all safety rules after losing their 63-year-old father - their sole breadwinner - to Covid-19.
Mohamed Eissa and his five siblings are still grieving their father's death but they have to stay strong - as their mother, a breast cancer patient, is also fighting the virus.
"After the death of our father, life has become difficult. We are praying continuously for God to help us," Mohamed, a fresh graduate from a dentistry college, told Khaleej Times.
Their father, Eissa Mohammed Eissa, was a pharmacist who served as a first responder when the pandemic struck. He worked tirelessly to help the Covid patients who had been admitted in a quarantine centre.
"He loved Fujairah, where we were all born, and the rest of the UAE, which he considered his secnd home. My dad had served some of the emirate's health institutions for 32 years. The people of the emirate's Siji area knew him and grieved with us, too," Mohamed said.
Eissa was a diabetic and had high blood pressure, so when he caught the Covid-19 virus, he struggled to fight the disease. Three weeks after being admitted to the ICU, he passed away, his son said.
Supporting their sick mother
Mourning had been tough for the family, Mohamed added, as they immediately had to put their grief aside to support their ill mother.
"The virus was transmitted to my mother, who is still suffering from breast cancer. She was about to undergo mastectomy when the physician found that she was positive for Covid-19. They to delay the operation, so the cancer spread to other parts of her body," Mohamed said.
Without their father and with their mother ill, the family has been scrambling to make ends meet. Out of the six siblings, four are still studying.
"I am the eldest. I and my 24-year-old sister Nourhan graduated from the College of Dentistry at a Sudanese university, and our 19-year-old twins, Saif and Wissam, were supposed to enrol in a university. Another sister, Fatima, has just received her high school grades, getting a score of 92 per cent. Our youngest, Ismail, is only 13 years old," Mohamed said.
A Good Samaritan offered help and sent their youngest to school, and their aunt decided to live with them and work to support the family.
Their twins, however, will have to skip university this year, Mohamed said. They also have to pool funds so they can take care of their mother, whom they have to take to Tawam Hospital in Al Ain every month for chemotherapy.
"My sister and I are looking for a hospital where we can work and earn some salary to pay for shelter, put food on the table, and support our mother. We are praying hard to get through this difficult time."
afkarali@khaleejtimes.com