Burnt three-year-old ready for school after five surgeries

Dec 05, 2016 News

Little Ranie Rogers is a survivor.
She was just 16-months-old when she suffered third degree burns to her head, right side face and arms when a flaming kerosene stove fell on her in the kitchen of her home. She is now three years old and is preparing to attend school next month. Rogers will also be celebrating her fourth birthday on January 4, 2017.
However, at this tender age, she has undergone five skin graft surgeries to treat her severe burns.
Ranie and her father, Rol Rogers returned home last week Friday after spending six weeks in the United States of America where she spent four weeks in treatment undergoing three separate skin graft surgeries.
All were successful.
The life-changing operations were sponsored by Saving Hands Emergency Aid (SHEA), a US-based charitable organization.
When contacted on Saturday, her father said that his daughter has completely recovered from the surgeries. Thus far, he stated that she has shown no side effects. The father explained that skin graft was done on the child’s face.

Ranie after successful surgeries in the US

Little Ranie before undergoing surgery in the US

Skin grafts are often used for burn victims. Skin is removed from one area and transplanted to the damaged area. The older Rogers who is a part-time contractor, has spent all his time caring for his only child.
He has since extended gratitude to the charitable organization for giving new hope to his daughter’s life. Ranie and her father reside at Peters Hall, East Bank Demerara. And according to Rogers, he will be enrolling her in the community’s nursery school in January.
Misfortune struck Ranie on May 23, 2014.
Her mother had told Kaieteur News, “I have a chair in the kitchen that I does normally sit on to make sure Ranie don’t come in. I was cooking in a pressure pot and I thought she was sleeping so I went at the sink and was cleaning salt fish when I heard the whistle on the pressure pot blew off,” the woman recalled.
According to the woman, when she turned around, she saw that the kerosene stove had fallen on her daughter and the child’s hair was on fire.
From all indications, the mother said that her daughter had walked out of the bedroom and climbed into the chair without her knowing.
“It seems like when the whistle blew off, she raise up to see what it was and the stove fell on her.”
The child was immediately rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). However, although she was treated and discharged her burns never healed despite two separate skin graft surgeries.
Her body rejected the grafted skin and she was left with an open head wound and at risk for infections for approximately two and a half years. She spent most of her days at home, unable to attend school and unable to interact with children her age.
Her father appealed to the public for assistance with getting Ranie overseas help.
Ranie’s story was highlighted in all sections of the media and help soon came.
In August, the charitable organization, SHEA, accepted Ranie’s case and advocated on her behalf. The charity was able to secure a medical visa for her and also coordinated all travel and accommodation.
According to SHEA’s website (www.savinghandsemergencyaid.com), little Ranie and her father arrived in the US on October 14. Their travel to and from the US was sponsored by JetBlue and Dynamic Airways.
Ranie’s road to full recovery is a long one, since she must return to the US next June for further treatment, including reconstructive and cosmetics surgeries.
SHEA is a humanitarian organization that provides financial assistance and coordinates free or low cost treatment to individuals in impoverished countries.
The organization is seeking to expand to other areas in need as funds become available.

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