Shaniya Persaud, the seven-year-old who was severely burnt about her body in a fire at her Mon Repos North, East Coast Demerara (ECD) home, is scheduled to travel to the United States this morning for emergency medical treatment.
Persaud has been accepted to the Shriners Hospital in Galveston, Texas, where she will be treated free of cost.
Due to the severity of her burns, she has to be transported via an air ambulance at the cost of US$40,000, which is equivalent to more than $8 million in Guyanese currency.
The cost is being covered by the Rotary Club of Demerara and the non-governmental organisation- Saving Hands Emergency Aid (SHEA).
On its Facebook page yesterday, SHEA said Persaud will be departing Guyana at 7 am today.
The organisation noted that it will be providing half of the cost for Persaud’s transportation. The remaining was raised by Rotary Club of Demerara.
SHEA, in the post, thanked President of the Rotary Club of Demerara Hansraj Singh for his continuous support, including his assistance in expediting the passport process for Persaud.
“Shaniya’s family lost everything they owned in the fire, so we faced many challenges in securing vital documents,” the post stated.
Persaud will be accompanied by her mother.
Local doctors have declared that not much can be done here for Persaud, who had been admitted in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH). As a result, a decision was made to have her taken overseas.
Persaud, a student of Mon Repos Primary School, sustained second and third degrees burns to 97% of her body in the fire, which started around 1 am on Monday at the single-flat house, situated at Lot 101 Mon Repos North.
The house was occupied by Samantha Gayadin and her three children-Persaud and her brothers Akeem Persaud, 9 and Brandon Anthony, 13.
At the time of the fire, the children were home alone as Gayadin was attending a wedding in the community.
This newspaper was told that the children were with Gayadin earlier at the wedding. However, as night approached, Gayadin took them home and later returned to the wedding, leaving them alone.
Upon learning of the incident, their father, who works at sea in neighbouring Suriname, returned home on Monday evening after some four months away.
The origin of the fire remains unknown.
However, it is suspected that it might have been started by a lamp or candle reportedly lit by the children during a power outage last Sunday evening.
SHEA is urging the public to continue their support in order to assist Persaud throughout her treatment and recovery.
Donations can be made to Rotary Club of Demerara Republic Bank account #6526214.
