Five-year-old Enzo Wilson is in B.C. Children’s Hospital in Vancouver with burns to 35 per cent of his body after a fire destroyed the family home in Duncan just after Halloween.
The boy has already undergone surgery, including skin grafts, and will have another procedure today. Future surgery may take place on Sunday and possibly beyond as doctors assess his condition, said Darla Smith, his aunt.
Enzo is in stable condition but he will be in hospital for at least two months, she said.
Enzo’s grateful family credits neighbour Rick Wilson for saving the youngster, who had been in the living room as flames engulfed the house.
“It was a selfless act of heroism,” Smith said. “There is no way to say how truly grateful we are.”
The family got together for Halloween. This was an extra-special day because a birthday party was held for Enzo, who had turned five a few days earlier.
A dozen people were at the house that night, including Enzo’s parents, Loretta and Philip Wilson, and their seven children, aged three to 16. Enzo slept on the living room couch.
One of the children, Grant, got up for water about 1 a.m. Nov. 1 and spotted flames near the wood stove, Smith said. All the children except for Enzo jumped out of bedroom windows on the ground floor.
Outside, Philip Wilson punched out the window to the living room and Rick Wilson rushed inside. Philip, who had a gash on his arm, sprayed Rick with a hose to keep him wet in the fire, Smith said.
Rick suffered from smoke inhalation.
Enzo’s parents are off work now that they watching over him at the hospital.
Loretta, a licensed practical nurse, worked through the pandemic. Jobs included testing, tracing and giving vaccines, her sister said. Philip works for Cowichan Tribes.
Enzo’s siblings are with family.
Smith has set up a Go Fund Me page for the family. By Thursday night, it had raised nearly $18,000.
She said, “I would like to help them begin rebuilding their home so that they can have a place to call ‘home’ again.”
The family is postponing Christmas until Enzo is well enough to come home, Smith said.
• Online: gofund.me/66a3601d
