Dubai: At just two months old, baby Tanya Sangtani has already survived a life-threatening medical emergency. Born with a rare congenital heart defect, she spent weeks receiving specialised treatment at a hospital in Dubai, leaving her family with an outstanding medical bill of more than Dh146,000.
Although she has since been discharged and is recovering at home under close monitoring, Tanya still requires corrective open-heart surgery, which her family estimates will cost between Dh250,000 and Dh300,000.
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For her father, Durgesh Sangtani, an Indian expatriate who has lived in the UAE for 12 years and works in sales, the past two months have been filled with hospital visits, medical procedures and uncertainty over his daughter's health.
Tanya, born on August 19, 2026, was one of twin daughters. Weighing approximately 1.4kg at birth, she was diagnosed with a serious heart condition shortly after entering the world.
"Our twin daughters were born in August at a hospital in Dubai. We had no idea Tanya had a heart defect because it had not been detected before she was born. After her birth, she developed breathing difficulties, and doctors discovered the problem with her heart," Durgesh told Gulf News.
Tanya was subsequently transferred to another hospital in Dubai, where she received intensive cardiac care. After weeks of treatment, she was discharged and is currently at home, where her health is being closely monitored by her family.
What happened to baby Tanya?
According to medical reports reviewed by Gulf News, Tanya was diagnosed with mixed-type Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Connection (TAPVC), a rare congenital heart defect in which the veins carrying oxygen-rich blood from the lungs connect abnormally to the heart.
In a healthy heart, these veins carry oxygen-rich blood into the left side of the heart, allowing it to be pumped around the body. In Tanya's case, the veins connect through different abnormal pathways, affecting normal blood circulation.
At approximately four weeks old, her condition deteriorated rapidly.
She was admitted to hospital after experiencing three days of worsening breathing difficulties and cyanosis, a condition that causes bluish discolouration of the skin due to insufficient oxygen. Her oxygen saturation had fallen to approximately 70 per cent and doctors identified respiratory failure.
She was urgently admitted to the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit for stabilisation and further investigations.
Emergency procedure brings improvement
Doctors performed a balloon atrial septostomy, an emergency catheter-based procedure that enlarges an opening between the heart's upper chambers to improve blood circulation.
According to her medical report, Tanya responded positively to the treatment, showing significant improvements in her breathing, heart pressures and overall condition.
She was subsequently able to breathe without additional oxygen support, tolerate full oral feeds and begin gaining weight. However, the procedure was a temporary measure rather than a permanent correction of her congenital heart defect.
"While she has shown incredible strength and is temporarily stable, this was only a temporary fix. She urgently needs a definitive open-heart surgical repair in the coming months once she grows stronger," said Tanya's uncle, Kamal Sangtani.
Family faces outstanding hospital bill of Dh146,515
Alongside concerns about Tanya's health, the family is facing substantial medical expenses. According to hospital billing details shared by the family, her treatment generated an invoice of Dh147,065.80, of which Dh146,515.80 remains outstanding after initial payments.
These expenses cover her emergency stabilisation, intensive care admission and cardiac catheterisation procedure.
The family estimates that Tanya's upcoming open-heart surgery will cost an additional Dh250,000 to Dh300,000.
According to Durgesh, the family's medical insurance has coverage limits and cannot meet the full cost of her treatment. Although the family has considered travelling to India, where the surgery could be less expensive, Durgesh said they would prefer to have the operation performed in the UAE.
"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.