A BROWNOUT in November 2012 in Oriental Mindoro province resulted in an accident which left Kyle Nicole de Lemos covered in burns. Since then, the 7-year-old girl has undergone a series of operations to allow her to look and function normally.
“It was 6 p.m. It was just starting to get dark when her brother Airan accidentally hit the kerosene lamp on the table, setting his sister on fire. At the time, Kyle was asking her aunt to make a glass of milk for her,” said her mother, Mary Ann de Lemos.
Kyle’s whole body was practically affected, leaving her with third degree burns which left her legs severely deformed. She also suffered second degree burns in the arms and face.
DE LEMOS
“Both of her legs have braces and she has to undergo acupuncture every three months. She also has therapy sessions to recover from her trauma,” the 30-year-old single mother said.
Mary Ann has taken her son from Calapan, Oriental Mindoro, to Tabaco, Albay, where her mother lives. She will look after him while Mary Ann and Kyle are seeking treatment at the Philippine General Hospital in Manila.
Kyle, who is confined to a wheelchair (the leg braces only allow her to stand up briefly) is a Grade 2 pupil at the hospital’s special education class for “delicate” patients.
Doctors have required her to undergo eight skin-to-skin and skin-to-bone grafting operations. She has three more to go.
“I still owe the hospital P18,500 for her fourth operation. The fifth operation on June 20 will cost us P7,500,” Mary Ann said.
Mary Ann de Lemos can be reached at 09995736194. Donations can be deposited in her sister Analyn D. Beato’s BPI account (#0449522389).