Passport for 13-year-old fire victim expected today
A group working to access overseas medical care for the 13-year-old sole survivor of Sunday’s house fire that left her three younger brothers dead is hoping she will receive a passport on Wednesday.
“We finally got acceptance from a burn unit in the United States. We were at the passport office where they promised us that we will get the passport in the morning. Once we get the passport [Wednesday morning] we will move to get a visa … for her and then we move to airlift her to the United States,” project manager of local organisation Sanmerna Foundation Stephen Josephs told the Jamaica Observer Tuesday evening.
Earlier in the day he had cited the young girl’s lack of travel documents as a major hurdle in getting her to the US. He had also spoken of the need to move quickly to get reports from the police and fire departments.
Firefighters from St James and Westmoreland, who launched an investigation on Monday, are still unable to say how the fire started. However, Observer sources say they have made significant progress.
Josephs said there is a need for greater collaboration between State agencies “so they can interact with each other and know who is the go-to person if a situation like this arises”.
In general, a burn victim needs to get the specialised treatment needed within 48 hours so as to make a full recovery. Efforts are being made to airlift Adrianna before the end of the week.
“Time is against us because of her condition. We are trying our utmost best to get her out as quickly as possible,” said Josephs. “Normally the visa is a 24-hour process, but we will see how quickly we can get that.”
He said efforts are being made, in the meantime, by the University Hospital of the West Indies to keep the teen girl as stable as possible.
Her father, Adrian Laing, who travelled to Kingston on Tuesday to meet with the foundation, expressed gratitude for their help.
“It is overwhelming, trust me. I never expect this because I was saying I don’t know how I am going to manage to airlift my daughter, and this good Samaritan come along,” he told the Observer.
He said he knew the foundation existed but never knew he would one day benefit from their work.
“I never know that God would send them to me in my time of need,” he said.
Laing has also launched a GoFundMe account to offset some of the expenses he anticipates will arise.
“The GoFundMe is very essential for corporate Jamaica to get on board and help my daughter,” he said.
According to Sanmerna Foundation’s Josephs, the cost of treating severe burns is an expense that would be beyond the reach of many individuals in the country.
“Airlift can cost — depending on the hospital — anywhere between US$25,000 to about US$40,000, depending on where [they are going]. And you are talking about treatment starting from about, depending on the situation, US$1 million to US$1.5 million to treat this level of burn overseas,” he said.
The foundation is no stranger to helping those in need to access treatment overseas.
In May of last year they spearheaded efforts to access treatment for Nicola Clarke after she was doused with a flammable substance and set ablaze by a jealous spouse. That incident took place at her place of business in Great River on the border of Hanover and St James.
“I do believe that it is time for us as Jamaica and Jamaicans to really look into a burn unit, or for our Government to set up some facility,” said Josephs who made a similar call last year. “When someone is [severely] burnt… there is no treatment [facility] on the island to treat that patient.”
According to the police, about 9:40 pm on Sunday, 48-year-old Adrian Laing was at home with his four children when he lit a candle after a power outage in the community. Laing, a music selector popularly known as DJ Bones, later went outside and, shortly after, the house was engulfed in flames. Efforts were made to rescue the children; however, only Adrianna was saved due to the magnitude of the blaze, according to the police report.
The burnt remains of her seven-year-old twin brothers Jorden and Jayden and their eight-year-old brother Adrianno Laing were found by firefighters during cooling down operations.
Losses are estimated at more than $3 million.