Frankie’s journey home after being born 11 weeks early in Mallorca
When Emma and Ben travelled to Mallorca, they never imagined their baby would arrive before
they returned home. Suddenly, they found themselves thousands of miles from home, with their newborn son needing specialist neonatal care in a Spanish hospital.
Frankie was born prematurely at 29 weeks, nearly three months early, weighing just 1.5kg. Suddenly, the first weeks of being new parents looked very different from anything they had imagined.
They were worried about their little boy, far from their family and the people who would usually have been there to support them. And while they focused on Frankie, they also had to deal with the difficult process of trying to get him home.
A family who needed someone in their corner
Emma and Ben had travel insurance, but arranging Frankie’s transfer back to the UK wasn’t straightforward. Having to navigate insurance conversations and the complexities of getting your baby home, while trying to process everything that has happened, is an enormous amount for any parent to deal with. There were complications and delays, and the prospect of spending many more weeks in Spain was becoming a real worry.
Emma and Ben contacted Lia’s Wings for help. With their permission, the Lia’s Wings team began speaking to the insurer on their behalf, advocating for the family and helping to work through what needed to happen to get Frankie home safely.
For Emma, having Charlotte, Lia’s Wings Chief Operating Officer, there made a huge difference.
“Having Charlotte on the other end of the phone and able to fight our corner with the insurance company was the most amazing help. After having a baby abroad and having to spend some time there alone, I wasn’t in the right headspace to have some conversations with the insurance company and didn’t have all of the knowledge and information Charlotte has.”
The insurer recognised that neonatal transfers require specialist knowledge and trusted Lia’s Wings to coordinate the journey. Rather than the family having to manage everything themselves, they had people who understood the needs of a premature baby and knew how to navigate the process.
Finally, a way home
With Lia’s Wings coordinating the transfer, Frankie was able to fly back to the UK by air ambulance with a specialist neonatal medical team at 33 weeks and continue his care at Walsall Manor Hospital, much closer to home. He was discharged home shortly afterwards.
After everything they had been through, Emma and Ben could finally begin to settle into life as a family, with their wider family and support network nearby.
Without Lia’s Wings, they believe they could have been in Spain for many more weeks. Some insurers are reluctant to transfer premature babies before 40 weeks, but every baby is different, and the right decision depends on their individual circumstances and clinical needs. For Frankie, getting home at 33 weeks meant those extra weeks could be spent with his family rather than in hospital abroad, and that time together meant everything.
Ben remembers just how much Lia’s Wings did to make it happen:
"Lia’s Wings were absolutely instrumental in helping us bring Frankie home. Charlotte and the team supported us, advocated for us and helped navigate the challenges we faced. Without their help, we genuinely believe we could have been stuck in Spain for many more weeks. Thanks to their incredible work, Frankie was finally able to make the journey home to the UK and continue his care at Walsall Manor Hospital, much closer to home and the people who love him. We will never forget what Lia’s Wings did for our family. They gave us support, hope and, most importantly, helped bring our little boy home.”
No family should have to go through this alone
Emma and Ben experienced how frightening and lonely it can be to have a premature baby in hospital abroad, and how much it matters to have someone who understands what you’re going through and is willing to advocate for you.
As Ben explains:
"Having experienced first-hand just how frightening, stressful and lonely it can be to have a premature baby in hospital abroad, I want to help ensure other families receive the same support that meant so much to us. No family should have to navigate a situation like this feeling alone, and charities like Lia’s Wings make a genuine difference when people need it most.”
No family can prepare for having their baby abroad in hospital. But with the right support, they don't have to face the journey home alone.
