Gregory and Joan

David 15 Alex 14 Gabrielle 8 and Gregory Jr. 3

6/30/06 Update: The family is now together in a FEMA camper on their property. They still are awaiting help to rebuild. They really could use a shed.

We left for the hurricane, did not plan on staying away for more than a few days. The next day our lives changed forever, Never to be the same. For the first time in my life I didn't know what to do. I watched my kids go through a lot of changes, not having a home base ruined our lives. We went to Georgia for the Hurricane. When we were able to come back we did. I've never seen anything like this, it was so hard dealing with the aftermath.

The children acted out a lot and still do. I was so tired just after seeing our house gone. It was getting dark the kids were dirty, tired, hungry. We tired to leave Waveland getting back on the interstate. We didn't know where we were going we just knew we had to go. We drove for a while leaving then stopped. I just couldn't drive any more. I said lets go back and park at Kmart then we will decide on something tomorrow. Well we stayed there for a week in my van and then in a tent. It was very hot. I didn't know what was going to come of us.

We went to Alabama where we finally found a hotel. We stayed there a long time coming back to Waveland sometimes. My kids were not in school. They wanted to go back to their schools. We finally got a FEMA trailer in Perkinston, MS. We stayed there fro a few months spent all our FEMA money driving back to Waveland. I put in to have the camper moved in October then again in December to our property. Our paper work kept being put aside or in the wrong hands. We were all ill with each other everyday driving all the time, in a small place being in the camper. Trying to find a place to wash clothes was so hard every week. I was played out and very tired in every kind of way. I put in for an apartment in Waveland by my daughters school. Thank God I got it and have been here about a month. I had enough FEMA money left for the first months rent.

Me and my daughter and 3 year old stay here and the 2 older boys stay with their dad in the FEMA camper. The boys come here in the morning to catch the bus. I have been going to our property almost everyday since the hurricane cleaning up. It looks good now. Its hard every time I go there and leave. Were trying to start over and except things that have happened. I don't make plans for the next day. I never know what I will be doing. I try to think positive about things but its hard. For the longest time we couldn't sleep or eat much and have bad headaches and feelings of despair and depression. This was so hard on everyone. Trying to find a direction. Things are a little better now. We do want to go back to Sandy St. We had a very good life there. The hurricane took our things and home, The aftermath took everything else. Its really hard to think straight sometimes. Thank you Joan

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