5-year-old Sa'fyre Terry, the only child to survive a ferocious house fire in Schenectady, NY during the early morning hours of May 2, 2013 that claimed the lives of three of her siblings and her father, remains hospitalized due to complications suffered from the severe burns over 75% of her body.
Elizabeth reports that "Sa'fyre has had an amazing recovery since her transfer to her current undisclosed hospital. Sa'fyre has undergone several surgeries in the month she has been there. They have reduced her Trachea tube size and gave her a different tube for her feeds. They reconstructed her left eyelid so that it will enable her to close it. They are still in the process of grafting Sa'fyre's neck. The doctors had to take skin from her scalp because it was the only viable skin they could use at this point. On Wednesday (12-18-2013), she underwent surgery to her Jaw because her mouth will not open properly and they believe the scar tissue is stopping it's mobility- She can only open it wide enough to stick her tongue out a bit. They tried to get in to look at her airway and throat but were unable to due to the lack of mobility of her jaw- (when they are able to and all looks good she could possibly be home in a couple of months). The medical team also has put a cast on her right foot because she was bed ridding for so long her toes/ankle pointed in a downward position causing a lack of ROM (range of motion) and doctors are optimistic this will not be permanently damaged. Since her leg has been casted she needed 2 assistances to walk. The following week she was walking with a minimal of 1 assistant. Sa'fyre's determination is just breathtaking. Seeing Sa'fyre walk for the first time was indescribable. It was one of the most amazing things I've seen. Sa'fyre is talking more and more and the sound is coming from her own vocal cords not the passy-muir valve for the trachea, she hates it and won't wear it- (The passy-muir is the tool they put on the trachea that allows her to speak)- She hates it and won't wear it. Our last visit I had the pleasure of feeding her applesauce which she has wanted for a long time, all she kept saying is more, more!"
