The Eerste River community is appealing for help to rebuild the home of a nine-year-old boy who nearly died when a fire trapped him inside his mother’s shack.
Gershin Rudolf, who lives in the Lynkamp Informal Settlement, was left with third degree burns while the shack was completely destroyed.
The boy is currently in an induced coma at Red Cross Children’s Hospital.
Single mom Tarren-Lee, 29, says the Grade 3 pupil from Stratford Primary School was asleep when the fire started on Saturday.
“I was standing a few metres away from the house when the fire started and Gershin was inside because he always takes a nap in the afternoon,” she says.
“I am not sure how the fire started but I was told that when the lights went back on (after load shedding) there was lots of krag and that is how the fire started.”
The traumatised mother says she saw flames coming from the shack and ran to help her son.
A brave neighbour ran in and plucked Gershin out of the flames.
“One of the guys came and got him out. He was sleeping and already inhaled smoke and was flou,” says Tarren-Lee.
“His whole body got burnt and the ambulance came and rushed us to Red Cross Hospital where they treated him. They put him in an induced coma for the pain.”
She says the incident left them traumatised and devastated as they now have to rebuild their home: “I lost everything and my children don’t have anything to go home to.
“Gershin and I are at the hospital for now until he recovers and my seven-year-old daughter is at home with her granny.
“I am so heartbroken, I don’t know what we will do. Both my children are at school and don’t even have uniforms now.”
Cheryl du Toit of the Thandiwe People Solutions organisation says they have been assisting the family.
“We have a soup kitchen in Lynkamp that services the area and so far we have been able to help with clothes and bedding. But they need help to rebuild their home for when Gershin comes back home,” she says.
“They really need food as the soup kitchen doesn’t operate everyday.”
If you would like to help, call Cheryl on 081 478 8731 or Sylvia on 061 384 6015.