Boy who was burned in house fire receives a hero's welcome home
Between 20% and 25% of Daylan’s body was burned in the late July blaze.
During the early morning hours of July 24, Daylan Edgar was seriously injured in a devastating house fire that resulted in him spending nearly four weeks at the Children's Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University.
His mom, Rachel Trantham, says Daylan was a hero the morning of the fire. She said he was woken up by heavy smoke and made the decision to pass the room where the fire had started in order to alert Curt, his former stepdad who hadn’t woken up yet. “(Daylan) had other options but chose this route,” she said. “He saved Curt’s life.”
All four occupants of the house (Daylan, Curt, Rachel, and Justin Hood (Rachel’s boyfriend)) exited by breaking through windows, and all sustained some level of injury. Rachel said she was the luckiest, sustaining only superficial injuries and suffering smoke inhalation.
The structure itself was a total loss, and the family lost a cat, two kittens, and a rooster in the fire. “We all love our animals, however, we have our lives,” Rachel said. “Looking back, we all barely missed death.”
Between 20% and 25% of Daylan’s body was burned in the blaze. While in the hospital, skin grafts were applied to his back and arms, he was intubated for a short time, had a feeding tube, and worked on physical therapy, which continues alongside wound care.
Daylan was discharged from the hospital and welcomed home at the stoplight in Floyd the afternoon of Wednesday, Aug. 19. He was greeted by community members that have followed his journey and first responders, including members of the Floyd County Volunteer Fire Department.
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Rachel describes Daylan, who turns 12 on Sept. 5, as “an amazing kid.” She said he’s “sweet, smart, funny, and full of attitude and wit.” Some of his hobbies include playing video games, baking brownies, and spending time with his family.
“I couldn't be more proud of him and excited to see what amazing things he will do in the future. He gives me hope that he will continue to grow, and be resilient and kind to everyone,” Rachel said.
While he’s currently being homeschooled, Rachel said, hopefully, he will get to return to Willis Elementary within the next couple of months.
Some of Daylan’s family members that have helped and continue to help him while healing include Justin Hood, Rachel’s boyfriend; Misty Chrisopher, Daylan’s grandmother; Janet Casey, Daylan’s great-grandmother; Angie Watts, family friend; and Joanna Huff, Rachel’s former sister-in-law.
“We couldn't have done any of this without them,” Rachel said.
As of Sept. 1, almost $20,000 had been raised to help Daylan and his family with medical costs, loss of income, and other expenses related to the fire via GoFundMe. The online page can be found at www.gofundme.com/f/support-daylan-our-brave-11yearold-hero. Some local stores, including Republic of Floyd, have also been raising funds for Daylan via a donation jar or basket.
