Life Saving Dresser
We had a great trip to Louisiana, and are really pleased with all of the recovery effort that is still ongoing. We are very proud that we had the opportunity to be a part of it, and of all the great work and stories that we were able to bring back with us. Even though it was an absolutely devastating time in our nation’s history, the overall outcome of so many people working together to help build it back up is extraordinary. It’s inspiring to see so many people from so many different backgrounds helping each other toward a common goal. The stories that have moved people to be here are heartbreaking and prideful in every way.
There was one woman there who’s story nearly broke my heart. She was young, in her early twenties, when the storm hit, but was married with three children. Her home was hit early on by the storm, and suffered a tremendous amount of damage. Unfortunately, it was not only her home that was torn apart. Her husband, in a desperate attempt to ensure his wife and childrens’ safety, nearly lost his own life. He made every effort possible to flag down a boat to take his family to safety from the roof of their home, and did so by climbing on top of an wooden dresser and paddling along until he found help. With his family safe, he took it upon himself to check on his neighbors to make sure they got the help they needed.
As a result, nearly the entire neighborhood survived, but her husband ended up on a list of the missing. For nearly four months after she relocated herself and the children to stay with family in Atlanta, she had no idea where her husband was despite her search attempts. He was eventually located in a hospital in Atlanta, and had been listed as a John Doe. Rescue workers had found him unconscious on a dresser. He remained in the hospital for another month, and though he has some neurological problems is on the road to recovery. The dresser he clung to was lost, but he held on with such force to one of the handles that the recovery team had to remove it to get him to let go of the dresser. Before leaving for home, this woman presented us with the drawer handle to replicate with the promise of sharing her story as well.
