A quick-thinking two-year-old more than lived up to being a big brother when he rescued his 10-month-old sibling set alight after a suspected short circuit in the aircon in his room.
The day in question was like any other for the boys’ 19-year-old mom Michele Nel.
For Nel it would turn into one of her worst nightmares.
As per usual, she put her youngest son in his crib for a nap.
“I never would have thought my child would burn in his own bed,” says Michele.
“I left to clean the kitchen when my other son, Luan, came running and shouted, ‘My brother is burning!’
“I left everything and ran to his room.”
Michele says before she could think of taking Dian out of the cot, her two-year-old Luan had already beat her to it.
“I took both kids out of the room, extinguished the fire, put Dian in a cold bath and called emergency services.
“He was crying non-stop. I didn’t know whether I was handling the situation correctly or if I did the right thing by putting him in the bath.
“Emergency services arrived within minutes but it felt like forever.”
Dian was taken to the nearby Van Velden Hospital but was later transferred to Mankweng Hospital in Polokwane.
“He doesn’t need a skin graft but we’re not sure how long he’ll be in hospital (for),” Michele says.
Dian sustained second- and third-degree burns.
She suspects the gas in the aircon caused a short circuit, which resulted in sparks shooting out and setting Dian’s hair on fire.
“We’re just grateful we’ll be able to hold him again.”
