Post by admin on Oct 14, 2009 4:46:45 GMT -5
www.app.com/article/20091012/NEWS/910120334/1285/LOCAL09/Freehold+PBA++Hispanic+center+step+in+to+help+with+burn+victim+s+finances
FREEHOLD — When Freehold Patrolman Eduardo Santana first laid eyes on Marilyn Silva, he saw a child in agony.
"Her skin was peeling off," said Santana, recalling the night that would forever change the lives of Silva and her mother, borough resident Alma Salmoran.
Silva, then about 19 months old, still bears the scars that show where she was burned on July 20 when she dropped a large cup of hot water on her chest and back. The accident — and her mother's subsequent financial struggles — have inspired the Freehold Patrolmen's Benevolent Association and the Hispanic Affairs and Resource Center of Monmouth County to team up in an effort to raise money for the family.
"Most of us have kids," said Freehold Police Sgt. Andrew DeMuth. "Situations like this hit home."
On the night in question, Salmoran had brought young Silva with her to a South Street office, where the 22-year-old planned to attend a sales meeting for the nutritional product company Herbalife.
The baby was playing when a mother's worst nightmare happened: Silva, perhaps curious, tried to grab a cup of hot water placed on a table. The cup fell, splashing water on the young girl.
"She (Silva) was screaming like you wouldn't believe," said Santana.
Silva spent about a week at St. Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, where she was treated for second-degree burns. Since her release, Salmoran said she has returned two to three times per week for further treatment.
"It's been bad because the baby is still probably afraid, in shock," said Santana, translating from Spanish to English for Salmoran.
Salmoran, who does not have a car, chose to stay with her daughter while she was hospitalized rather than pay exorbitant taxi fees. She was forced to leave her cleaning job and, given the amount of care her daughter requires, said she has been unable to look for work.
She hopes to start working again next month, when Silva's hospital visits are to be reduced to once monthly.
Since Silva's injury, Salmoran has had to move in with her brother. Her brother, her father and Silva's father — from whom Salmoran is separated — have all contributed financially, but Salmoran worries about her mounting expenses.
Salmoran has no health insurance. She has no conception yet how much all of Silva's treatment will cost, though she notes the ambulance bill alone was $2,800.
The local PBA is asking for the public's help getting Salmoran on her feet. They have little hope of covering all of Salmoran's expenses, but they want at least enough to help her with transportation and treatment to ensure Silva is not permanently scarred, DeMuth said.
"We're definitely not going to raise enough for everything . . . She (Salmoran) is probably going to have these bills on her for years," said DeMuth.
Kim Predham: 732-308-7752; kpredham@app.com
FREEHOLD — When Freehold Patrolman Eduardo Santana first laid eyes on Marilyn Silva, he saw a child in agony.
"Her skin was peeling off," said Santana, recalling the night that would forever change the lives of Silva and her mother, borough resident Alma Salmoran.
Silva, then about 19 months old, still bears the scars that show where she was burned on July 20 when she dropped a large cup of hot water on her chest and back. The accident — and her mother's subsequent financial struggles — have inspired the Freehold Patrolmen's Benevolent Association and the Hispanic Affairs and Resource Center of Monmouth County to team up in an effort to raise money for the family.
"Most of us have kids," said Freehold Police Sgt. Andrew DeMuth. "Situations like this hit home."
On the night in question, Salmoran had brought young Silva with her to a South Street office, where the 22-year-old planned to attend a sales meeting for the nutritional product company Herbalife.
The baby was playing when a mother's worst nightmare happened: Silva, perhaps curious, tried to grab a cup of hot water placed on a table. The cup fell, splashing water on the young girl.
"She (Silva) was screaming like you wouldn't believe," said Santana.
Silva spent about a week at St. Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, where she was treated for second-degree burns. Since her release, Salmoran said she has returned two to three times per week for further treatment.
"It's been bad because the baby is still probably afraid, in shock," said Santana, translating from Spanish to English for Salmoran.
Salmoran, who does not have a car, chose to stay with her daughter while she was hospitalized rather than pay exorbitant taxi fees. She was forced to leave her cleaning job and, given the amount of care her daughter requires, said she has been unable to look for work.
She hopes to start working again next month, when Silva's hospital visits are to be reduced to once monthly.
Since Silva's injury, Salmoran has had to move in with her brother. Her brother, her father and Silva's father — from whom Salmoran is separated — have all contributed financially, but Salmoran worries about her mounting expenses.
Salmoran has no health insurance. She has no conception yet how much all of Silva's treatment will cost, though she notes the ambulance bill alone was $2,800.
The local PBA is asking for the public's help getting Salmoran on her feet. They have little hope of covering all of Salmoran's expenses, but they want at least enough to help her with transportation and treatment to ensure Silva is not permanently scarred, DeMuth said.
"We're definitely not going to raise enough for everything . . . She (Salmoran) is probably going to have these bills on her for years," said DeMuth.
Kim Predham: 732-308-7752; kpredham@app.com
