Three weeks after she was severely burnt after a fire gutted her Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara house, seven-year-old Shaniya Persaud has shown significant improvement and is recovering well in the United States, where she is currently receiving treatment.
Non-governmental organisation Saving Hands Emergency Aid (SHEA) on Sunday said Persaud has since undergone several surgeries, all of which were successful. She can now speak, eat and even move on her own.
“To date Shaniya has undergone several surgeries all of which have been successful. Thank-fully all parts of her body has been saved, including her fingers, toes and her eyesight,” SHEA said in a Facebook post.
“She is doing exceedingly well and responding wonderfully to her treatment. She can now move on her own and also speak,” it added.
Persaud departed Guy-ana for emergency medical treatment on August 10th.
Due to the severity of her burns, she was transported via an air ambulance at the cost of US$40,000, which is equivalent to more than $8 million in local currency.
The cost was covered equally by the Rotary Club of Demerara and SHEA.
The Mon Repos Primary School student sustained second and third degrees burns to 97% of her body in the fire, which started around 1 am on August 5th at her 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.
The origin of the fire remains unknown.
A decision was made to have Persaud taken overseas after local doctors declared that not much could be done for her here.
Persaud was accepted to the Shriners Hospital in Galveston, Texas, where she is being treated free of cost.
