A Filipino family in the United Arab Emirates is facing an urgent medical and financial crisis as their seven-year-old son battles complications from a rare malignant brain tumor and prepares for possible treatment overseas.
Andrey Limbaring is currently confined in the intensive care unit after developing severe breathing difficulties, a condition doctors believe is linked to tumor progression affecting his brainstem. He has been intubated to support his breathing after losing the ability to cough on his own, and doctors are now working to safely wean him off the ventilator to avoid the need for a tracheostomy.
Andrey was first diagnosed in November 2019, when he was just about a year old. Since then, he has undergone four major brain surgeries, chemotherapy, and two rounds of radiation following multiple tumor recurrences. Scans taken last September revealed another relapse, after which doctors informed the family that treatment options in the UAE had been exhausted.
Specialists recommended further surgery and chemotherapy in Spain, where more advanced care for complex pediatric cases is available. However, transferring Andrey poses another major challenge. Once medically cleared, the only safe option is an air ambulance — an expense the family cannot afford on their own. Treatment in Spain alone is estimated to cost around €300,000, excluding transport and additional medical needs.
Behind the medical emergency is a family that has spent years navigating hospital corridors and difficult decisions.
Jean Lloyd Limbaring, 38, is a medical representative based in Abu Dhabi and originally from Tangub City, Misamis Occidental. He lives in the UAE with his wife, Ana Clariz Limbaring, 37, and their three children — Annica, 10; Andrey, 7; and Anzelm, 11 months.
He recalls how their family life abruptly changed when Andrey began showing early symptoms. “Every day used to be full of plans — parks, beach trips, road trips, and dreams for the future. All of that changed when Andrey started vomiting and becoming weak, and we received the diagnosis,” he said.
The impact of treatment soon extended beyond hospital walls. After his first brain surgery, Andrey lost the ability to walk independently and has since required assistance for daily movement. For his father, the emotional weight has been seeing his son miss out on an ordinary childhood.
“The hardest part is watching him unable to play freely, go to school, or live like a normal child,” Limbaring said.
Financial strain has compounded the family’s situation. Although Andrey previously had medical insurance, securing coverage after his diagnosis became nearly impossible due to his medical history, with premiums rising beyond what the family could afford. They have since relied largely on charitable institutions for medical support, while many immediate and out-of-pocket expenses are shouldered personally. Coverage for essential home medical equipment such as oxygen support, suction machines, and ventilators is not provided, even in emergency cases.
As Andrey remains under close monitoring in the ICU, the family is now appealing for urgent assistance to continue his care abroad.
“He needs treatment in Barcelona, and we are asking for financial help and support to transfer him by air ambulance once he is stable,” Limbaring said.
To help the family, contact them at +971 54 590 2862.
