The family of two-year-old Saleil de Silva will no longer see her smile. Saleil, affectionately known as "Leyley," died after she choked on her vomit on Thursday afternoon. A report said Saleil's mother, Essie Sylvester, 26, placed her in her bed to take a nap around 3.30 pm, before going to take a shower at the family's home in Paramin. After Sylvester got out of the shower, she went to check on Saleil. The toddler was having difficulty breathing and had vomit coming out of her mouth and nose. Relatives drove to the Maraval Police Station hoping for a police escort to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital.
When they arrived at the hospital, Saleil was pronounced dead.
In an interview at their home yesterday, Saleil's great-uncle, Garth Sylvester, said she had a cold. Relatives and friends stood outside the house and were in the process of putting up a tent for a wake.
Garth said a distraught Sylvester was in the house suffering from shock and unable to speak. "She fed her first but I believe it was that (the cold)...then when her mother put her to sleep she was lying on her back," he said.
He said Saleil's mother attempted to revive her. "She knows some CPR," he said. "There are a few of us in the family who are in the medical health safety management profession. "She also tried to wipe her nose and mouth," he added. He said the autopsy results showed Saleil had food in her lungs and throat. Staring at Saleil's photograph, an emotional state Garth said: "It was a shock to us...She was a gem and a light of the family." PC Bernard of the Maraval Police is continuing investigations.
