AN eight-year-old died on Christmas Day following an accident on Christmas Eve at the orphanage at which she was staying.
The Guyana Chronicle understands that at around 14:00hrs on Saturday, the child, Neena Blair, was playing in the yard at the Alpha Children’s Home in Gay Park, Greater New Amsterdam, Berbice when the accident occurred.

It happened when a teenaged orphan, who also lives at the Home, snuck into a car belonging to the institution, started it up, and pressed the accelerator, causing the vehicle to slam into a stump wall which fell on Blair.
The founder, Ms Esther Bruyning, with the help of other children from the orphanage, pulled Blair from the rubble and rushed her to the New Amsterdam Hospital.
But because of the severity of her injuries, which were mostly confined to her head, the child was later transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital where she died on Christmas morning.

When the Guyana Chronicle contacted the orphanage on Tuesday, Mrs. Bruyning was very heartbroken and could hardly speak. “I can’t,” she said. “I am too traumatised to speak.”

This newspaper was subsequently told that because the car’s keys were stuck in the key switch, the vehicle was scheduled to be taken to the mechanic immediately after the holidays to have it removed.
And while the informant refused to divulge any other information, she did indicate that the 17-year-old who drove the car is currently in police custody assisting with the investigations.
Blair and her two sisters were placed in the care of the Alpha Children’s Home earlier this year after they were removed from the care of their mother.
The mother, Ms Venus Laloo, called “Anita”, was earlier this month charged with three counts of child neglect.

She was fined $100,000 for each count, but because she could not raise the money, she opted to serve the alternate sentence which was jail time.
However, a good Samaritan familiar with the facts of the case decided to pay the fine, and provide “Anita” with a quantity of groceries to take care of her and her children until she could get back on her feet.
She was released from prison, and was supposed to visit the orphanage on Christmas Eve Day, which was also the birthday of one of her daughters, to take her children home with her so they could be re-united and spend Christmas together as a family.
It was also the wish of little Neena to spend this Christmas with her mother. This publication understands that the children were already dressed and eagerly awaiting their mother’s arrival when tragedy struck. Surprisingly, “Anita” never showed up at the orphanage, nor did she check up on the children upon her release from prison.

The Alpha Children’s Home is currently home to 13 children, and is rated among the best orphanages in Berbice for the level of care it provides to the children left in its care.
It has been providing care to less fortunate children since it was established over 25 years ago.
As news of little Neena’s death spread, many have rushed to the Home to offer Mrs Bruyning, for whom they have great respect, a shoulder on which to lean.

This newspaper was told that “Anita” was informed of what had befallen her daughter but it is unclear whether she visited the Home.