New Year’s day turned out to be horrible for a young couple of Bath Settlement, West Berbice when their one-year-old daughter, Sonia Ali suffered second degree burns to her face and chest with hot porridge.
The couple, Cynthia Sewlal and Ameer Ali rushed the screaming baby to the Fort Wellington Hospital (FWH) where she was treated and sent away.
However her condition seemed to have worsened later that day and she was taken to the New Amsterdam Hospital where she was admitted a patient.
Sonia, who also suffered burns to her hand was discharged from hospital yesterday and is expected to visit the FWH daily for “dressing.”
Cynthia, 17, told Stabroek News yesterday that the incident occurred around 8:30 am as she was preparing to feed the baby.
She said she poured some porridge in a cup and left it close to the window to cool and had just turned around to “cover the pot on the stove with the rest of the porridge” when the baby climbed up on a chair and reached for the cup.
She was about to attend to the baby again when she saw her husband, Ameer Ali running towards the baby. Before she realized what was happening the baby was already badly scalded and was screaming hysterically.
Confused, Cynthia said she too started to “holler” at the sight of the baby.
Ameer told this newspaper that he was coming down the stairs and he noticed the baby climbing up towards the porridge. He said he tried to pull her to safety but it was too late.
