Almost two weeks after they were severely burnt during an incident at their Corentyne, Berbice home, four-year-old Gansham Sohan and one-year-old Besham Sohan have since undergone multiple surgeries in the United States.
Non-governmental organisation Saving Hands Emergency Aid (SHEA) yesterday said that while Gansham is alert and recovering well, his younger brother, Besham had to be sedated.
“4-year-old Gansham is alert and knows all that is happening. He knows that he is in a very strange place and cries uncontrollably at times but his mom is by his side to offer comfort. 1-year-old, Besham, has also undergone many surgeries, but he is sedated due to the extent of his injuries,” SHEA in a Facebook post said.
The two brothers are currently admitted at a hospital in Texas, who had agreed to treat them for free.
SHEA in a previous post had said that treatment for the brothers was not available in Guyana and as such a decision was made to have them taken overseas.
The cost to medevac them is $45,000 USD equivalent to $9.4M.
SHEA’s local representative Sita Sugrim had told this newspaper that the cost does not include other expenses while adding that the brothers will also need to do follow-up treatment.
The incident occurred around 7 pm on August 16th at the boys’ #48 Village, Corentyne, Ber-bice home.
Prior to their departure, they were both warded at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) Burn Care Unit where their conditions were listed as critical.
Reports are that the children’s mother, who singlehandedly maintains her six children, was in a hammock breastfeeding the youngest child. She lit a small fire for the smoke to get rid of mosquitoes when another of the children reportedly threw dry grass on the fire causing it to spread rapidly. As a result, both Gansham’s and Besham’s clothing caught afire.
SHEA said that the brothers have a “very long” road to recovery.
Donations can be made to: https://savinghandsemergencyaid.org/Gansham-and-Beham-Sohan or via the organisation’s Facebook page.
