Hurricane Ida Assistance for Disabled Young Man

Hi, It is with a heavy heart that I come to you all in need of resources, be it financial or goods, for my beloved cousin Carl. 

I am the mother of two girls with special needs. My oldest is a year older than Carl, and though she has endured a life of surgeries, her medical condition is not severe as Carl's. My daughter and Carl were the reasons I went to nursing school. My first-hand knowledge of what it means to be a mother of a child with special needs is why I am here asking for your support.

Carl, 28, has severe intellectual and developmental disabilities. The heat aggravates his seizures, and Hollins had just one syringe of diazepam left to treat them. Adult diapers, usually delivered at the first of the month, were running low. Ida had broken a window and torn a hole through her roof in New Orleans' St. Roch neighborhood, and mosquitoes were coming in. She didn’t know where to turn.

Six days after Ida knocked out Hollins’ power, her son Carl dozed in the still afternoon heat of their shotgun apartment, its glass windows blown out by the storm.

“It was scary. It was horrible. My son was not understanding,” said Hollins, 55, who is also disabled due to a back injury. “He just couldn’t grasp it. I couldn’t grasp it, either.”

With the power shut off, Hollins tried in vain to keep her son cool. After nearly a week without electricity, she walked more than a mile to Louis Armstrong Park to grab 10-pound bags of ice, which partially melted by the time she returned to her apartment. She bathed Carl in the icy slush and every few hours misted him with a spray fan, but Hollins feared that it was not enough to stave off a seizure for much longer.

In the aftermath of a hurricane, going without power is difficult. But for people with disabilities and their families, the temporary discomfort can threaten their health and life. At the same time, evacuation can be almost impossible for some, whether it’s due to a lack of money, transportation or few shelter options for people who need a lot of equipment or special conditions to survive.

“I’m doing everything,” said Hollins, as she walked back from the corner store in the rain on Friday. “And you think I’m not broken?”

Please read the articles Carl and Grace we're featured in: Times Picayune and Propublica

https://www.nola.com/news/healthcare_hospitals/article_7a09c908-1804-11ec-ba31-770a47c11095.htmlhttps://nolachic.blog/ 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.propublica.org/article/entergy-resisted-upgrading-new-orleans-power-grid-when-ida-hit-residents-paid-the-price/amp

They live in the Saint Roch Neighborhood on North Roman & Mandeville for those of you who may want to donate goods or services.

I have filled out the Special Needs Registry from our St.Roch Neighborhood President & church president. She was my first contact as she assists our neighborhood with resources in times such as these. I called various organizations, called 911, applied for FEMA &, etc. I was told to ask neighbors to share generator power by one organization. I wish it were as easy as calling those means.

This is my last resort and I'm knowing in my heart that all it takes is to inform the village, the people of your needs and they will do their best to met it.

Thank you in advance for aiding with caring for Carl, keeping him safe and healthy during this difficult time. I appreciate any help you can provide.

Deatra Hollins