A teenage fire victim flown from Jamaica to the United States with life-threatening injuries will be heading back to the island with a story of survival.
Adrianna Lang, 15, was the sole survivor of a violent and deadly house fire in Westmoreland, Jamaica. The flames ripped through her home, killing her three younger brothers: 9-year-old Adrianno Laing and 7-year-old twins Jorden and Jayden Laing.
Laing suffered burns on roughly 90 percent of her body, but because there are no burn units in Jamaica, she found herself in a life or death situation. Trinity Air Ambulance flew her to the United States for treatment.
“It has been very emotional, because I have lost my brothers,” said Laing. “I wish they were here. It has been very hard throughout the months.”
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After more than two dozen surgeries, the school girl was discharged from Shriners Children's Hospital in Boston and her journey home included a stop in South Florida. She and her father flew to Fort Lauderdale where they were met by Jamaica's Consul General for the Southern USA, Oliver Mair.
Mair, along with South Florida’s Jamaican Community Leaders, came together at Island Space - a Caribbean-American History Museum in Broward County - to rally around the teenager before her flight home.
“Adrianna is the recipient of America helping her, that’s why she is here today,” said Stephen Josephs from the Burn Foundation of Jamaica. “So it is very important for Jamaica to lead the Caribbean with a burn unit so it can help its citizens and people of the Caribbean.”
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Laing was showered with gifts and will fly to Kingston, Jamaica on Thursday.
She told NBC6 she is sharing her story of survival to advocate for a burn unit on the Caribbean island.
