DUBAI // The mother of a schoolboy who has been grounded by a severe fear of flying plans to travel to Europe to meet her son and husband as they return to the UK by road.
Joe Thompson, 11, has been stranded in the Emirates for more than a month after he developed the phobia.
His family is returning home after living in Al Ain for several years, but while his mother Pauline and sister Chloe, 16, have already made the move, he has stayed behind with his father Tony.
Volkswagen stepped in with an offer to supply cars and drivers to take the pair home, travelling across Saudi Arabia to the Red Sea port city of Jeddah. They will travel from there by ferry and make their way overland through Europe.
Tony and Joe have obtained the Saudi visas they need to embark on the 5,600-kilometre trip, and are waiting for Volkswagen to finalise the route and decide on a departure date.
Volkswagen Middle East confirmed it was working on the itinerary. "Joe's so excited about it. It's the trip of a lifetime for him," Pauline said from the family's home in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset.
"He's going to keep a diary and take loads of photos so he'll have it to look back on. I'm hoping to go out and meet them when they get to Europe."
Pauline, 49, said she found it difficult to have the family separated by Joe's phobia as she had hoped they would all go home together.
"It's just a case of having to be patient," she added. "Things are moving along in the right direction. Hopefully in the next couple of days we'll know the itinerary and when they're going to be leaving, and then we'll be able to put timelines on things.
"I just want them to get under way and start heading back."
Pauline said she had no idea about the cause of Joe's phobia.
"He's been flying since he was a baby," she said. "We've always gone abroad on holiday, even before we lived out in the UAE.
"Normally he would get on the plane, get his games out, watch films and it wouldn't bother him at all. It's just something that's come on.
"There were no telltale signs, nothing to forewarn us that this was going to happen."
She said Joe was fine in the car as they drove to the airport, but when he saw the check-in desk he became distressed and started crying.
"When you get to the airport he absolutely falls to pieces," Pauline said. "He says 'I can't do this'. We try to give him reasons why it's OK, he doesn't need to be frightened, but you can't rationalise with him.
"Once you take him out of that situation he completely changes. He completely switches back to his normal, easy-going self. We've had loads of offers of help from hypnotherapists and people like that.
"He wants to fly again. He's as baffled as we are. When we get him home, get him into school and get him settled we'll try to tackle this problem any way we can."
Tony said: "With Eid coming up there are some challenges finding suitable ferries that are actually operating from Jeddah, so
Volkswagen are looking at all that at the moment. Hopefully in the next few days we'll have a plan.
"The key thing is we have the Saudi visas and are ready to go. It'll take two or three days to get across Saudi and then we'll be on our way."
csimpson@thenational.ae
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Cargoz%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EDate%20started%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20January%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Premlal%20Pullisserry%20and%20Lijo%20Antony%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2030%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Seed%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
Four motivational quotes from Alicia's Dubai talk
“The only thing we need is to know that we have faith. Faith and hope in our own dreams. The belief that, when we keep going we’re going to find our way. That’s all we got.”
“Sometimes we try so hard to keep things inside. We try so hard to pretend it’s not really bothering us. In some ways, that hurts us more. You don’t realise how dishonest you are with yourself sometimes, but I realised that if I spoke it, I could let it go.”
“One good thing is to know you’re not the only one going through it. You’re not the only one trying to find your way, trying to find yourself, trying to find amazing energy, trying to find a light. Show all of yourself. Show every nuance. All of your magic. All of your colours. Be true to that. You can be unafraid.”
“It’s time to stop holding back. It’s time to do it on your terms. It’s time to shine in the most unbelievable way. It’s time to let go of negativity and find your tribe, find those people that lift you up, because everybody else is just in your way.”
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
Company%20profile
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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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TERMINAL HIGH ALTITUDE AREA DEFENCE (THAAD)
What is THAAD?
It is considered to be the US's most superior missile defence system.
Production:
It was created in 2008.
Speed:
THAAD missiles can travel at over Mach 8, so fast that it is hypersonic.
Abilities:
THAAD is designed to take out ballistic missiles as they are on their downward trajectory towards their target, otherwise known as the "terminal phase".
Purpose:
To protect high-value strategic sites, such as airfields or population centres.
Range:
THAAD can target projectiles inside and outside the Earth's atmosphere, at an altitude of 150 kilometres above the Earth's surface.
Creators:
Lockheed Martin was originally granted the contract to develop the system in 1992. Defence company Raytheon sub-contracts to develop other major parts of the system, such as ground-based radar.
UAE and THAAD:
In 2011, the UAE became the first country outside of the US to buy two THAAD missile defence systems. It then stationed them in 2016, becoming the first Gulf country to do so.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
The%20specs
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My Cat Yugoslavia by Pajtim Statovci
Pushkin Press
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Confirmed%20bouts%20(more%20to%20be%20added)
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MEDIEVIL%20(1998)
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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ALRAWABI%20SCHOOL%20FOR%20GIRLS
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BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
Honeymoonish
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