Like a good neighbor

On March 2 all of us were hunkered down in basements and bathtubs in anticipation of the frightening storms that were forecast to blow through Southern Indiana and Kentucky.  Thankfully the storms were kind to Louisville, but by the time I left my shift in the pediatric emergency room, we were already seeing the aftermath of the deadly tornadoes that struck Henryville, IN and countless other small towns.  

I rolled the windows down for a balmy 70 degree ride home.  There wasn't a scratch on the town.  But some of my co-workers weren't so lucky.  Just 30 minutes down the road, their homes had their roofs blown off and their windows busted out by the tornadoes.  And just when you think things can't get any worse... Two days later, it snowed.  The snow melted only to be replaced with days of rain.  The residents of Henryville were told to collect their possessions and get out of town because looters would be coming in the following days and it wasn't safe to stay.  One of my nurses had her son and husband in one town and her mother in another.  It's one thing to read about natural disasters on the news, but it's quite another when it's your neighbors and colleagues.

So when they started a drive to collect basic essentials for the victims I ransacked my house and came up with what I could.  If I hadn't used it since moving to Lou then someone else needed it more than I did.  Then I made a Target run and broke my budget on more must-haves: dog food, toothpaste, shampoo, deo, TP.  I won't miss a meal from spending too much and hopefully I'm in good company of people that have opened their hearts and their closets for their neighbors.  

Also, many many thanks to my parents who could not be physically present (although I'd love to clean out their house for charity!) but gave a very generous donation to Kosair Children's Hospital as we are the only regional pediatric level I trauma center.  

It will take a long time to recover from this disaster, but there's nothing like a crisis to bring a community together.

Click here for ways that Townies and Out-of-Townies can donate time, strength, and dollars to the relief efforts.