A seven-year-old remains in critical condition at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) after she suffered severe burns to most of her body in a fire that gutted her Mon Repos North, East Coast Demerara (ECD) home early on Monday morning.
Shaniya Atiya 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.
Residents of the area were yesterday still praising the child for her bravery as they said she walked out of the burning house.
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 on Sunday evening.
When Stabroek News visited the community yesterday, residents were hopeful that Persaud would make a full recovery.
“All I am hoping and praying is that she pull through and she can come back on she two feet”, Shanta Persaud, an aunt of the child, said.
She also noted that no one is being allowed to visit the child at the hospital.
“Yesterday (Monday) when I was there, the only time I see my niece is when she go in, they take her into the ICU,” she noted.
Morrina Biswah, a cousin of Shaniya, said she was asleep when an aunt, who lives next door to Shaniya, called and informed her of the fire.
Biswah said she and her parents immediately rushed to render assistance.
“All we hollering fah is the children (Shaniya and her brothers) because we want know like, we ain’t seeing the children them so we start scream fah the children. By time meh parents run and go ova and they holler, ‘Where is Shaniya?’ And they spot the second brother (Akeem) and meh faddah screaming ‘Akeem where is Shaniya? Where is Shaniya?’ and somebody seh that Shaniya get burn up,” Biswah related.
She said by this time Shaniya had already run out of the burning house but nobody noticed her running up and down the road. “She was running all ova and then when meh faddah scream back ‘Shaniya!’ she come up and she said ‘Papa, Mama look ah get burn up,’” Biswah said.
She added that her father rushed for his vehicle, while her mother grabbed Shaniya and together they transported her to the hospital.
Meanwhile, Biswah’s mother, Vimla Biswah, explained that Shaniya grew up with her and her husband. Vimla said while they were on their way to the hospital, she was questioning Shaniya, who was in and out of consciousness, about what happened. The girl explained that she was awakened from sleep by heat on her feet and discovered that her bed was on fire. No one else was around. “Meh she, ‘Baby, how yuh reach out the house?’ She seh ‘Mama meh watch and meh nah see nun nun body and meh walk.’ Meh seh, ‘Weh yuh walk?’ She seh, ‘Meh walk through the fire,’” Vimla added.
She said prior to arriving at the hospital, Shaniya enquired as to where she was taking her. “She seh, ‘Mama weh yuh ah carry meh?’ Meh seh, ‘Abee ah guh docta fah yuh feel good,’” Vimla recalled.
Residents described the child as a very respectful and active.
The Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Fire Service are investigating the fire.
