US$40,000 raised, 12-year-old burn victim off to US for treatment

Adrian Laing, the father of 12-year-old burn victim, Adrianna, is breathing a sigh of relief and is optimistic his daughter will get the desired treatment in the United States, having departed the island via an emergency air ambulance today.

The flight departed the Norman Manley International Airport minutes after 6:00 pm.

Adrianna is the lone survivor of the tragic inferno that took the life of her three younger brothers – nine-year-old Adrianno Laing and seven-year-old twins Jorden and Jayden Laing – and totally destroyed their home in Westmoreland on Sunday. 

The four children were to attend school on Monday of this week at the beginning of the new school year.

Adrianna, who has been at the University Hospital of the West Indies surgical intensive care unit since the incident, is suffering from third degree burns and needed US$40,000 to be flown overseas for treatment.

Corporate Jamaica, the government, charity organisations and individuals answered the call.

Trinity Air Ambulance flew the child to Atlanta where the special surgery will be performed at the Joseph M Still Center in Austell.

“It's overwhelming. My heart, the heaviness just take a slip, just a little bit because I know that she have life and she is off to get treatment so she can get a second chance,” the father told the media at the airport today, the tears flowing as he watched Adrianna being taken from the ambulance and placed into the aircraft.

“I must say a huge thanks to the whole entire world who come on board and I must say a big thanks to Sanmerna and Mr Josephs,” Laing said.

Robert White, managing director of Sanmerna Paper Products, said team work made the dream work.

“Getting all of this done was a team work and we are grateful for the cooperation and we want to thank the minister of foreign affairs Kamina Johnson Smith, the (Westmoreland) MP Morland Wilson, PICA, the consul general (Oliver Mair) and the diaspora,” White said. 

White, who is also the director of the Sanmerna Foundation, heaped hearty commendations on corporate Jamaica and Scoops Unlimited (manufacturers of the popular Devon House ice cream) in particular, which donated US$10,000, for responding to the call for crowd funding to help Adrianna.

Time was running out and collectively the stakeholders raised the US$40,000 needed for the airlift in less than 24 hours.

The Sanmerna Foundation, which has led the charge in three burn victims receiving care in the US, said they will continue to do whatever they can to continue saving lives.

- Andre Williams

Follow The Gleaner on Twitter and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.