Back From The Brink

Abra’s amazing brother has a message for the world.

- Lianne La Borde/Danielle Whitfield

Abra Wood, 25,

Darlington

After waking up, I lay in bed lazily scrolling through Facebook on my phone.

Frowning, I noticed everyone was sharing the same news story about a house fire in nearby Shildon.

A teenager had been pulled from the blaze and rushed to hospital.

Only then a comment made me sit bolt upright in bed.

It’s Troy MacKinlay, someone had written. 

My little brother! 

Panicking, I called one of my other five brothers, Ike, 24.

‘What’s happened?’ I cried.

‘Troy’s been in a bad fire,’ Ike said.

Troy had been taken to Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary, was in a critical condition.

Ike, our mum Vivian, other brothers, Carl, 21, Gary, 20, Aron, 17, Rhys, 15, and little sister Madison, 13, were on their way. 

‘I’ll meet you there,’ I said.

Gathering us together at the hospital, doctors had bad news... 

Troy had suffered third- and fourth-degree burns on 85 per cent of his body.

‘He’s unlikely to survive surgery,’ the doctor said.

We all crumpled, distraught.

Trapped upstairs

Doctors said Troy had less than a five per cent chance of surviving, told us to prepare ourselves for the worst.