Restore Hope for Thomas Henry DeSimone After Hurricane Loss

Hello, my name is Chara Strucic. I’m originally from Massachusetts but currently living in New York with my husband and our beautiful son. I am creating this campaign on behalf of my father, Thomas Henry DeSimone Sr. Like many Floridians, Thomas lost nearly everything in the most recent hurricanes, Helene & Milton. It is truly heartbreaking to see the aftermath and devastation these storms caused. In my wildest dreams, I would have never thought a storm could cause this much damage and grief. My heart goes out to anyone who has suffered and been affected by these storms.

My father is a special person. He has always been one to put others ahead of himself and make sure his family and close friends were always safe and taken care of. He retired from a long-standing career as an Iron Worker nearly 20 years ago and moved to a sleepy fishing village in Florida called Punta Gorda. Over the years, this home would soon become filled with many great memories of special occasions, holidays, family get-togethers, and most importantly, a safe place for everyone Thomas knew.

Like many other waterfront homes in Punta Gorda, my father’s home was directly adjacent to a nearby canal. This canal would usually serve as a source of happiness and joy as my father would pull his boat out to take a routine ride in the harbor. That all changed when Helene made landfall on Sept. 26th.

Hearing the news the following morning that my father’s entire house was flooded and everything had been destroyed was one of the hardest things my family and I have ever had to deal with. Much of his home, including all his furniture and personal belongings, were either washed away or severely damaged from the water which rushed in from the canal. His entire dock, his pool, his front and back lawn, and his garage were all destroyed. The only things he was able to save were family photo albums and some extra clothes; everything else is gone.

Being the person he is, my father started clean-up right away. No time for feeling sorry, he just wanted to get his home back again, not for himself, but for his family.

To make matters worse, while he was in the middle of demo and clean-up, he was also prepping for Hurricane Milton and would once again be forced to evacuate his home and seek shelter. His home then flooded for a second time.

Of course, in tragedies, we always try to put things in perspective. My father is safe and was not injured; that’s the most important thing, and I thank God for that every day.

But now, he needs help. For the man who always put himself second, please donate and help me show this grandfather of eight that he is our #1 and means the world to me and my family.

All the money raised from this campaign will go to the rebuilding of my father’s home. FEMA relief has unfortunately been very minimal, so we are looking to put the money towards any of the major rebuilds and renovations my father will be faced with.

Anything you can give is greatly appreciated. Thank you and God bless you.