The Jamaica Observer understands that Westmoreland burn victim, Dacia Forrester successfully underwent a medical procedure to remove burnt skin cells from her body Tuesday night.

At the same time, the 42-year-old entrepreneur, who is at the Cornwall Regional Hospital in Montego Bay, St James is in need of urgent blood donations.

Although time appears to be running out in this life and death situation, Forrester’s sister, Carol Blackwood Hewitt, expressed that she is still optimistic the public will continue to support efforts to raise US$55,000 for her sister’s surgery in the United States (US).

“The doctor called me this morning and told me that they took her in surgery and removed all of the burned skin and it went well. It is just for her now to get blood,” she said.

Blackwood Hewitt shared that another one of their sisters, who was arrested on February 19 and placed in jail, was released on Tuesday without being charged.

In an incident last Thursday, which led to her arrest and the hospitalisation of her sister, a gas station pump attendant in Whithorn, Westmoreland, allegedly doused Forrester with gasoline before setting her on fire.

Forrester and the pump attendant were said to have been in a heated argument that got physical.

Forrester’s sister was arrested following the incident as it was alleged that she wounded the pump attendant.

According to Blackwood Hewitt, the sister who was arrested almost a week later, was released after detectives viewed security footage from the cameras at the gas station and saw no reason to lay charges against her.

“My other sister has not been charged. I went and got a lawyer on Monday and the judge told the investigating officer that if they didn’t charge Miss Forrester by 10 o’clock on Tuesday, they need to let her go. She was there from last week Thursday.”

“My source told me that the police saw the full video, and it showed that my sister did not go there to fight,” Blackwood Hewitt said.

She encouraged the authorities to release the video footage to put an end to the widespread rumours that Forrester was the aggressor and that she went to the gas station to fight the pump attendant over a man.

Blackwood Hewitt insisted that at no point in time was her sister in any argument about a man.

The rumour has been negatively impacting efforts to raise funds to cover the US$55, 000 cost for the air ambulance to take Forrester to the US.

People wishing to donate may do so via the Burn Foundation of Jamaica, and they can be reached via cell phone at 876-344-7028 or online at crisissupportcharity.org. They may also visit crisissupportcharity.org/donations/help-dacia-forrester-to-get-burn-care-overseas. The link for the GoFundMe account is gofund.me/ccdabce42 .

Burn victim Dacia Forrester