Rayad: His trip to hell and back

After 14 years, burnt scars are now healed

One look at the scars on his chest, face, hand and back, and one assumes that Rayad Henry has a story to tell. And, quite rightly so, he does indeed!{{more}}

Flashback, 14 years ago. Rayad, nine years old at the time, was the victim of severe burns to his body that resulted in keloids (sprout flesh), which made his young life a living nightmare.

SEARCHLIGHT recently caught up with Rayad, now a 22-year-old fisherman and carpenter. The O’Briens Valley, Georgetown, resident shared with us the story of his trip to hell and back, which began on September 29, 1994.

A bit hesitant at first to share his story with the world, Henry recalled being at home and going outside in the yard to play with his three cousins. While there, he said his aunt told him to go for a piece of sponge to light a fire, but instead, he lit the fire with rum waste, locally known as “low wine”. As is the case with many youngsters, Henry said, he was fascinated by fire and wanted to see more of it. Admitting that he had made huge blazes the day before using the substance, Henry said he threw more of the “low wine” into the fire. “I notice it start to blaze faster than gas and I ain’t been know some been spill on the ground and pon me,” he recalled. The fire caught the drum that Rayad was holding and the drum exploded.

Henry was rushed to the Kingstown General Hospital, as it was called at the time, where he spent a miserable 26 days. “While I was there, I was in so much pain that at times, I felt numb and the only thing I remembered was that I was vomiting plenty.” He said even though he had been burnt, he did not fully understand the severity of what had happened to him. Rayad said when he was at home nursing his injuries, the Keloids appeared, but being a child, he didn’t think they were anything significant and thought they would go away in time.

Young Rayad returned to school that same year, but not to warm welcomes or huge smiles. Instead he had to put up with teasing from his peers about the Keloids and his appearance. As he lifted then dropped his chest in a deep sigh, the hurt was evident. “As a youth man still, ah know me use to get troubled a bit, but me never take it on that much, cause me grow up tough,” he said. Even though Rayad soldiered on bravely, his mother could not take the torment her first child was going through.

Caroline Henry said that her son would come home from school on afternoons and tell her tales of all the awful things his classmates and other persons would say to him. “Rayad used to come home and tell me that people calling him “bun up bread”, and other names, and I never liked it for my son,” Henry lamented.

Reflecting on the tragic day of the incident, Henry said she did not send Rayad to school on that day, as she had nothing to give him to eat. She said she was at home and had just given her sister the only dollar she had to go to a nearby shop to purchase something for them to eat with some breadfruit. She said while inside, lying on her bed, she heard the loud explosion outside and “I saw Rayad there. It was not easy for me that day, and I know it was the work of the devil, but I just left my son in God’s hands and he delivered him.”The proud Christian woman stated that she didn’t have the slightest idea of what could heal her son’s outer scars, but knew of one thing that would heal his internal wounds was the word of God. “He used to come home frustrated and I used to tell him things about God to make him feel better. Henry said her son’s Keloids were repeatedly becoming infected, so she decided to take him out of school and seek help.

Rayad noted that it was not until his mother took him out of school that he realized that his problem was serious, and he thought he was going to die at one point. He admitted that he never really missed school, as his bicycle became his best friend. Help, however, was on its way, mainly through the efforts of the late Viola Gatherer of Georgetown. In March 1995, Rayad was able to get help from the United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (VIM), a medical team from North America on their annual medical mission. When they learnt of Henry’s condition, project “Rayad” was set to take flight.

“When I find out I been going get help, I been really happy, because the Keloids use to scratch me so much,” he stated.

Rayad said that he was not only happy that he was getting help for his Keloids, but the fact that he was getting to ride on a plane for a first time, made everything much sweeter.

The prospect of going to the United States to seek help at times seemed like a figment of young Rayad’s imagination, as the trip did not materialize right away. In February 1996, confirmation came that Rayad would be flying to the United States for surgery. However, things took a turn for the worse. Rayad and his mother were denied United States visas by the embassy in Barbados.

Things got going again when talks began with Dr James Fields, VIM’s team leader and the US Embassy in Barbados. On April 4, 1996, Rayad and his mom were issued visas, and they were on their way. They flew to Shriners Burn Institute in Cincinnati, Ohio, on April 16, for reconstructive surgery free of cost.

Rayad said the pain was so immense after the surgery that at one point he cried and told his mother he did not want to have any more operations. But today, the Keloids are hardly visible and Rayad is much more comfortable with his appearance.

After completing his treatment on April 16, 1996, Rayad returned to school that same year to Junior 4. However, his long absence from school had taken its toll on the youngster. He admitted that he could not catch up with his class, and he felt like a fish out of water at times. He, however, completed primary school, then learned the carpentry trade with a friend named “Dellie.”

Today, Henry is man with huge aspirations. He wants to own his own fishing boats and make something of himself. He said that everything happens for a reason and that he doesn’t regret anything in life.

Rayad urged persons who may have gone through a similar situation like his or even worse to be positive and try their best to ignore negative comments that pass their way. The young man thanked his mother, whom he described as a woman of strength. “She been with me through everything and I just want to thank her for that,” he said with a huge smile. Rayad said that he wished Miss Gatherer was still alive today, so that he could show her appreciation for what she did. Both Rayad and his mother thanked persons from Corea’s, Barclays Bank and other persons and businesses that supported them in their time of need.

Rayad says that there are times when he is alone and his mind drifts back to the day of the unfortunate accident that almost claimed his life, but says he has too much to be thankful for to live his life with regret.