Sick and jobless in Dubai: Blue Christmas

Dubai: It will be a blue Christmas for this Dubai-based couple as they grapple with circumstance.

Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), a progressive neurological disorder that leads to physical and cognitive disability, Captain Michael Pearce, a 48-year-old British expatriate, said he has been unceremoniously thrown out of his job as a ship operator by a local shipping company.

Suddenly deprived of his income and medical insurance, the Springs resident said he is struggling to pay for his medication, while his Peruvian wife Karina, 43, who has had little luck in finding employment, is being treated for depression.

"The company was insensitive to my condition and threw me out like a piece of scrap paper," said Pearce who has 26 years of experience that includes 10 years as a sea-going captain in the UK.

Pearce, who has been at a shore job ever since he failed a medical test for his eyes in 2005, landed the Dubai job in 2007. He said he was diagnosed with MS by the International Modern Hospital in September last year, a fact that he did not hide from his employer.

He said things were going just fine, but in October this year, the company president allegedly summoned him and told him that he was redundant and that there was no need for him to attend office any more. Pearce added that the technical manager didn't find his performance up to the mark.

Pearce, who claimed he was still at the first stage of MS, said he would be grateful to anyone who could provide him with a consultancy job given his vast experience and expertise in vetting ships, readying them for cargo, loading and reloading and safety audits, among other functions.

Karina said she too had not been able to get a job. "I have 10 years of secretarial experience and am fluent in both Spanish and English," she said.

"Please give us a chance to work for our livelihood and pay for our medications," appealed Pearce, whose visa is due to expire in March 2010.

 The Pearce couple can be contacted at 055-769 2608if you wish to extend any assistance or offer advice.