Family Stranded 4,000 Miles Away From Home & Feel Like ‘Prisoners’ After Mom Gives Birth At Sea

Aug 18, 2023

What was meant to be a picturesque and natural birth experience on a Caribbean beach has turned into a nightmare for Iuliia Gurzhii and her husband, Clive Gurzhii. The couple, hailing from Tameside, Manchester, went on a journey 4,000 miles away to fulfill Iuliia's lifelong dream of giving birth on golden shores.

However, the dream quickly turned sour when Iuliia and Clive found themselves stranded off the coast of St Lucia, a stunning tropical island in the Caribbean. The couple, now accompanied by their new baby Louisa, was unable to register the birth. Without a registered birth, the parents also could not apply for the baby's passport. With their limited options, Iuliia and Clive feel like prisoners in paradise.

The ordeal began when Iuliia's waters broke in the middle of the sea, leading to the birth of baby Louisa on April 23, 2023. Since then, the couple has been battling against bureaucratic hurdles to bringing their daughter back home. 

Iuliia, a yoga teacher, aspired for a water birth when she learned of her pregnancy. So, she and her husband, who works as a sports coach, booked a Caribbean trip for March 2023, when Iuliia was about 35 weeks with her child. 

Doctors typically advise against flying for pregnant women beyond 37 weeks. However, Iuliia’s latest ultrasound indicated that her pregnancy was going well and safe for the baby. But while sailing off the coast, Iuliia's waters broke, and baby Louisa was born at sea at 12:40 a.m., per The Mirror. She weighed a healthy 6.6 pounds.

Days later, the couple visited the Owen King European Union (OKEU) Hospital located in St Lucia for a medical examination and to officially record their daughter's birth. The hospital denied their request because the registration was past the 24-hour window. 

"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 said, per Metro.

"We are essentially stateless - we are more than abandoned. We are prisoners in a country that we are not allowed to leave."

Their challenges escalated as they tried to navigate various agencies in the Caribbean and their home country’s immigration office. They faced demands for proof of the baby's identity, proof of birthplace, and even a DNA test from the U.K. High Commission. 

The Gurzhii couple told The Sun that the birth itself was magical and without any incident. 

"The sea gives off a frequency which is a natural painkiller,” the father said. “It was so much less painful for her." 

However, the events that followed deeply affected Iuliia, who had been experiencing sleepless nights due to the intense stress of being unable to return home. The mother said that she had been traumatized and in distress.

Worse, the family's funds have been dwindling. Clive said that they did not have enough money for airline fares, and their credit card debt had ballooned to £6,000 ($7,600). A spokesperson for the U.K.'s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, however, said that they have "offered consular support" to the stranded British family. 

In July 2023, Clive had to go to the U.K. High Commission office in Grenada to undergo a DNA test in order to establish the baby's parentage. They are still awaiting the test results as of press time. However, the parents are optimistic that upon receiving the DNA test results, they will be granted permission to acquire a passport for their baby, enabling their return to the U.K.

The Gurzhii couple's struggle is unimaginable! Do you know anyone who has dreams of giving birth in the Caribbean? Would you advise them not to go? Pass along this story as a potential cautionary tale.