Heartbroken Indian family says slim chance of infant surviving Abu Dhabi accident that killed his parents

The National

3 days ago

The family of a four-month-old baby injured in a road accident in Abu Dhabi last week that killed his parents have learnt his chances of survival are bleak.
The infant suffered head injuries and remains in a critical condition on life support in an Abu Dhabi hospital after a car crash killed his parents Syed Waheed, 35, and Sana Begum, 27, on August 7 when driving back to their home in Al Ruwais.
'There has been no improvement and doctors have told us that he may not survive,' the child's uncle Syed Mateen, 25, told The National. 'I can't think properly, it's too much of a shock to see the baby on a ventilator.'
The child's elder sisters, Sidra, seven, and Sadia, two, were operated on for fractures to their legs and are being cared for in hospital. The injured children were brought from a hospital in Al Ruwais after the accident.
Mr Mateen is shattered over the death of his elder sister Sana Begun and brother-in-law Sayed Waheed. He was the last person to see the family alive on August 7 as they had visited him in Abu Dhabi and were heading back to Al Ruwais when the accident occurred.
The two young girls have not yet been told about their parents death as the family hopes to break the news gently after they recuperate from their injuries.
The baby's grandfather will soon reach Abu Dhabi from Hyderabad, India, to take custody of his grandchildren. He was in India to handle the funeral of the couple that was completed on August 9.
'We haven't told the children yet about their parents,' said Mr Mateen, who works in a technology company in Abu Dhabi. 'How do you tell children this news? I will wait until my father comes here to talk to them about this.'
Coping with grief
The entire family had gathered together last month in India to celebrate Mr Mateen's engagement and coping with the sudden tragedy is too much for him to bear.
'I'm blank, I still cannot believe it. I still think my sister is alive, I cannot believe I will never meet her again,' Mr Mateen said.
'Waheed was such a good person. He would do anything for people in need, would give people money if they needed and would never ask for it back. I learnt from Waheed about helping people. He also knew how to handle critical situations.'
Mr Mateen cherishes the guidance he got from the couple and is anxious about the future of his nieces. 'Both of them [brother-in-law and sister] were very cool and calm, they were the decision makers in our family and now they are gone,' he said. 'There is so much we need to plan for the education and future of the children.'
Mr Waheed and Ms Begum had lived in the UAE for seven years and moved from Abu Dhabi to Al Ruwais a year ago due to his job with a technology company.