ESCAPE FROM HURRICANE FLORENCE

We are all aware of the hurricane that hit the USA last month.  In September, Hurricane Florence brought devastation to the Carolinas, causing about $13 billion in damages and, more tragically, 53 fatalities. Two St Patrick’s Graduates, Teri HEALEY Evans and her sister, Betty HEALEY Brown, were caught up in this frightening ordeal.  Teri has shared some photos and her story with us.  I will let Teri tell it.  

“I had gone to beautiful North Carolina on July 25 to spend some time with my sister Betty and her husband, Billy.  Early in September we were hearing on the news that a massive hurricane was forming and that it looked as if the eye was going to make landfall in Wilmington, NC.  That was alarming because the city of Wilmington was only about 25 minutes away from where Betty lived in a lovely little town called Burgaw. Her home was situated along Cape Fear River.

Well the weatherman was right, it was heading our way. We had to evacuate because the Cape Fear would indeed flood and all the roads would wash out.  Not to mention all the trees that would fall due to high winds, making any chance of the roads being passable.   To give you an idea of the type of home Betty had I can describe it as a bungalow built on 12 foot pilings.  Because it was up so high (12 foot off the ground) we never in a million years thought that the river would rise that far as to get in to the main house, it had never before. So before evacuating we only secured the grounds and anything at ground level.  Unfortunately Mother Nature had different plans for it.  The River rose 25+ feet, meaning 13 ft or more of water got into their beautiful home and destroyed it and all the contents.  The River stayed that high for over a week ruining everything.  Thankfully, we had evacuated and were safe.

I have attached a few photos for you to see.

The first photo is a sort of 'before' picture (Betty and 
Billy hosted a wedding at their property on July 28th)

The second is of the river beginning to rise.  

The third photo shows the River half way up the house.

 (After this it was too dangerous to go there by boat anymore)

The fourth is a photo of the Restaurant we often ate at which was

 only one mile from Betty's house.  All you can see is the roof.

And sadly, these photos only show a very small fraction of the devastation caused by Florence.  Betty and I have many, many friends there who have also lost everything.  I've been home since October 16 and I still can't get some of the horrible destruction our of my mind.  It was just like a war zone when I left.

Betty and Billy have found temporary housing and do plan to rebuild but that could take up to a year to get everything back to a livable state.  However, they are safe and count their blessings everyday.  As do I now to be living in beautiful Newfoundland!"

Thank you for this account Teri.  It must have been terrible for all of you.  I can understand why you are glad to be back in "beautiful Newfoundland".  There are worse things than "rain, drizzle and fog"!

'THREE POINTS CENTER'

This post takes us all the way to St George, Utah, where we find some wonderful work being done.  There is a very strong link to Newfoundland and to St Patrick’s and I am grateful to Teri Healey Evans for sharing this with us. Teri and her sisters are all graduates of St Patrick’s Convent Schools and Teri brings us news of one of the sisters, Betty.  

Many of us shared our school days with Betty and remember her with affection.  Betty Healey Brown now lives in North Carolina.  This is a story of Betty and her two amazing, community spirited sons, Norm and Glenn Thibault.  The boys were born in Newfoundland, Baptised at St Patrick’s and, after moving to the States, spent most of their summers with their Healey family in Newfoundland.  Teri says that if you ask Norm and Glenn where they are from they will proudly tell you “Newfoundland”. 

Both boys put themselves through college and Glenn became a very successful businessman and Norm a dedicated Family and Adolescent Therapist.  Norm had a great desire to help adolescents who have been adopted and who have been coping with issues of rejection, drugs, alcohol abuse and myriad other problems.   With the help of his brother Glenn’s financial backing, Norm’s dream became a reality.

September 2017 saw the grand opening of their treatment centre for such young people.  The facility is named ‘Three Points Center,’  and is located at St George, Utah.  Glenn, who lives in Colorado, was there for the opening. The boys’ very proud mother, Betty, joined them and helped cut the ribbon. At present the facility is operating at full capacity with children from across the USA and elsewhere.  Reports of the Center’s good work and excellent results are spreading far and wide. Recently, ‘Three Points Center’ was featured in a documentary on a French T V Station which had flown a crew over to film at the Ranch. 

I am certain that, not only Betty, but the entire Healey family is bursting with pride at the work these two dedicated young men are doing and the good they are bringing about.  I don’t think it would be too presumptuous if we, as fellow Newfoundlanders, schoolmates, and friends of the Healey family feel a little of that pride too.

 

Betty Healey Brown with her two sons, Glenn and Norm, at the opening of 'Three Point Center'
in St George, Utah

Teri has sent us a picture of the ribbon cutting which we are delighted to post on our School Blog.  Thanks Teri for this very interesting and inspiring story.  We send greetings to Betty and wish Norm and ‘Three Points Centre’ every success.  

**** If you click on either of the 'Three Points' names above, you will be taken to its website where you can learn all about the facility and its work.