Sara & Stella Busby Single Mom&Daughter Duo

Hi I’m Leslie Boland, Gort Myers Native, I’m raising funds for my “Ex”( not really “ex” as it still feels current and real…our connection)Sister n’Law, Sara Busby and niece, Miss Stella Busby. It’s been a crazy trip down here living through the path of Hurricane Ian. We all will have a story to tell, just as the old-timers I remember talked about ole’Donna!!

Though Sara and Stella had freshly moved off island, and in my house with me temporarily, the ties to Ft Myers Beach we’re still strong and hoped to return to island as soon as possible.

Sara continued to work two jobs on island and was also eagerly waiting for her fave job on South End island in a hair salon. unfortunately none of her jobs are active currently, likley they’ll never happen there again.

As Hurricane Ian made its approach we were shown models that only projected Ian coming through Ft Myers by one spaghetti string. They got that storm so wrong!! Tampa was in path, they projected it to weaken before it hit land! He turned and seemed to stall and stare us down crawling, churning and dumping rain. The 1-2 punch storm and flood hit us unprepared.

The night before the storm hit, as winds built and Tropical Storm Forced winds licked the trees and warned us of what was to come. Grandparents called and urged us to leave. It was decided my son took his dog and the girls to South Fort Myers High: Dathan, JoJo, Leia and Stella somewhat unprepared for the hard floors and lack of wifi (lol) would be safe inland more and more South , too. Sara and I kept battening down the house and put a few more shutters on. Plus, we currently had 4 cats and We all were worried if the storm surge reached 9+ feet our cats would not survive. Sara choose to go check on and help a friend on SanCarlos Island and to check on the sailboat she and Stella also called home.

also that night, a choice I know she regretted soon enough! She called me the next afternoon when Ian raged, chest deep in ocean water inside a barber shop on that island. She said they couldn’t reach help, they were stuck until winds died to under 45 mph. Those were the longest 6hours of their lives! They climbed to rafters of that shop …five adults and three dogs all day and into eve prepared to bust through the roof of water climbed just two more feet!

It was a relief to hear they were safe in the neighboring bar in that plaza, going to tuck in for the night sleeping on the bar and or tables. Most big windows were smashed in and many cars floated right up against the building. It looked like a war zone.

Sara and Stella don’t have much privacy here, they’ve claimed my Florida Room and a few more refugees have come to stay as well. We are getting by, but any help will be appreciated greatly. They need their own space. As hard as it was to find housing over past few months looking and looking, I cannot imagine what amount of money will be needed to get housing and what a miracle it will be to find it in the first place!!!

Thank you for your kindness, love and generosity!!!!

Better everyday!!!

The hope of this fundraiser is to get a first, last and security to get the girls into their own home.

thanks again!!