Hurricane Katrina flood waters destroyed Alicia's home and forced her and her son to move out of the area.

NEW ORLEANS - This year, Alicia had the best Christmas ever.

The single mom wasn't worried about opening presents or getting items on her wish list. All she wanted was her son.

The reunion between Alicia and her son was two years in the making.

Life changed dramatically for Alicia and her son when Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005.

Alicia lost her home and everything in it when the floodwaters rushed in. To make matters worse, her husband had died just weeks before the storm hit. With no where to turn, she and her son evacuated to Missouri.

The situation went from bad to worse when Alicia found out she had a five-inch tumor that required major surgery to remove. During that time, her 13-year-old son got into trouble at school and the Missouri court system stepped in and placed Gerard in foster care.

After recovery, Alicia did the necessary requirements to get her son back. She attended parenting classes and fully cooperated with the courts. However, there was one thing holding up the process.

Because her permanent residence in New Orleans was considered "uninhabitable," the courts would not grant custody back to Alicia until she could provide a suitable home for her son.

Thanks to OBI, Alicia's home was renovated and filled with new furniture just in time for Christmas.

The judge told Alicia if she could show "reasonable" progress on the rebuilding of her home, then her son could be returned.

Thanks to Operation Blessing, Alicia didn't have to look far to find help in rebuilding her house.

An OBI crewed showed up at Alicia’s home and surprised her with the good news that they were there to help. As an added bonus, a court clerk called from child protective services while the crew was there. Jody Herrington, director of U.S. disaster relief for OBI, told the clerk of the plans to help the family.

"Alicia went bananas," Herrington said. "She was crying and began to hug me and jumped up and down."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," Alicia shouted.

For Alicia, OBI has not only given her a new home, but also a second chance at a new life for her and her son. The duo were able to share this Christmas together in their newly renovated house complete with furniture and a Christmas tree.

HOW YOU CAN HELP
You can help by making an online donation toward OBI's disaster relief efforts. With your support, we can continue to provide emergency relief and recovery. Please make an on-line donation today.

 

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