By Ashford Peters
Less than 48 hours before he was due to travel to the United States for advanced healthcare, autistic 16-year-old Sylvester Rodney aka Small Man, of Roseau, a fire victim, died at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital (MCMH), family members confirmed to iWitness News Wednesday morning.
Rodney, who lived with his mother, Jasmine, in one of three concrete houses in a yard at Lower Roseau, sustained serious burns to his hands and buttocks during a fire at their home on Friday evening.
Rodney died Tuesday night. He was due to travel to the United States on Thursday, family members said.
It is understood that prior to the fire, Rodney suffered from kidney problems, which worsened after he sustained the burns.
Rodney was on medication to manage his hyperactive behaviour and was given additional medicine after his injuries.
iWitness News understands that the child was in the house while his mother was in the yard with other family members when smoke was seen coming from an area between the house and a neighbour’s.
Initially, it was thought that the neighbour was burning stuff. But on closer inspection, family members noticed smoke coming from the bedroom near the neighbour on the right side of the house.
As a result, family members started screaming and shouting at an uncle who was at the front gate.
As the uncle responded, the teen’s mother was rescuing him.
The screaming teen was taken to the yard and water thrown on him in a move to suppress the heat.
A healthcare professional who was in the area responded.
A crew from the St Vincent Electricity Services (VINLEC) was the first of the emergency response teams to arrive, within minutes, followed soon by a fire tender from the Fire Department of the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force.
By the time the emergency units arrived, however, the fire was put out and the child was rescued from the fire and placed in the yard.
The child, wrapped in a transparent material, which appeared to be plastic, was taken to a vehicle and transported to hospital.