PEOPLE watched with delight as burn victim Adrianna Laing’s eyes lit up and her smile widened as she stepped into her new home in Slipe, St Elizabeth.

The 14-year-old and her father, Adrian Laing, were gifted the house through the Government’s New Social Housing Programme (NSHP). The two-bedroom, one-bathroom house was constructed at a cost of $9 million.

The happy moment was in stark contrast to the horror young Adrianna endured some 16 months ago, surviving a deadly fire at her previous home in Springfield, Westmoreland, which took the lives of her three brothers — nine-year-old Adrianno Laing and seven-year-old twins, Jorden and Jayden Laing. Adrianna suffered third-degree burns and lost one of her legs.

During the handover ceremony, held on February 21, Prime Minister Andrew Holness noted that the Laing family’s new home is a part of their new chapter.

“Today, the family’s life looks much different. Adrianna is back in school and, though still grieving an immeasurable loss, they are starting a new chapter. As part of this new chapter today they collected the keys to their brand new home under the NSHP,” Holness said.

“I am filled with immense joy that my Government can impact lives in this way. May the Laing family heal and make new memories in their new home,” Holness added.

In an interview with journalists, Mr Laing said he was thankful for his new home.

“It gives me hope. I prayed, and I asked God to let me pick up the pieces and move on. It’s very hard but the house has brought great joy to my daughter and [we will be] living comfortably, and everything is going to be OK,” he said.

He added that his new home serves to confirm that “taxpayers’ money is not going to waste”.

Young Adrianna told
JIS News that she was “happy and thankful” for her new home. Adrianna, who is now wearing a prosthetic leg, also expressed appreciation for her new bathroom, which is specially outfitted to cater to her disability.

Member of Parliament for Westmoreland Western Moreland Wilson, in whose constituency the Laing family resided before losing their home, said he was ecstatic to see the family get a new home.

He outlined that among the aid he provided was speaking to the prime minister about building the family a unit under the NSHP, a plea Holness answered.

Wilson noted that after having some 18 operations at Joseph M Still Burn Centre in Augusta, Georgia, in the United States, Adrianna and her family were anxious about what her living arrangements would be when she returned to the island.

Wilson also thanked the prime minister for making good on his promise to build the Laing family a new house.