7-Y-0 burn victim stable after surgery to remove ‘damaged tissues’

Seven-year-old burn victim Shaniya Persaud is now in a stable condition after she underwent surgery to remove damaged tissues about her body.

Shaniya is being treated free of cost at the Shriners Hospital, Galveston Texas in the United States. The hospital is said to be one of the best children’s medical facilities to treat burns.

Shaniya received second and third-degree burns to approximately 97.8% of her body when her North Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara house went up in flames at around 01:00hrs on August 5, while she was asleep.

The Rotary Club of Demerara in collaboration with a non-governmental organisation – Saving Hands Emergency Aid (SHEA) – successfully raised the necessary funds to evacuate the little girl.

The total cost for evacuation is about US$42,000.

Shaniya was medivac from the Georgetown Public Hospital on Saturday to the airport where she boarded a chartered flight to the US. SHEA in a social media post on Tuesday said after arriving safely in the US, Shaniya spent the first day meeting her medical team to form a treatment plan.

Meanwhile, President of the Rotary Club of Demerara, Hansraj Singh told the News Room that Shaniya is still unconscious but she is in a stable condition and doing better.

Shaniya was hailed as brave by residents after she walked out of the burning house, with her skin almost burnt off and her feet bleeding with cuts.