I know of a current FO who is currently being put through the wringer thanks to his infants' serious and likely terminal ill-health. Second hand info suggests when he approached fleet he was given a flat refusal to leave Dubai to be near his child as they underwent treatment, it wasn't until he went over the heads of the estrogen fuelled oxygen thieves in fleet was he able to get home to be near his child in their last days.
I don't personally know the individual, but I know a friend of his very very well and I consider him an impeccable source.
If all the above info is accurate, and I have no reason to think otherwise, I'm quite frankly disgusted and appalled.