Following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, many lives were tragically lost, including those of a young boy and his grandparents. The child’s aunt shared the heartbreaking details in an emotional online post.
According to a recent CBS News report, Hurricane Helene has claimed at least 135 lives, with the Carolinas bearing the brunt of the storm’s destruction. Officials have confirmed that over 80 people were found dead in those states.
One of the most devastating stories reported involved a mother, her son, and her parents, who became stranded on the roof of a house in Ashville, North Carolina. As the floodwaters rose, Megan Drye watched in horror as her 7-year-old son, Micah, and her parents were swept away after the house collapsed.
Though Megan was rescued, her son and parents were not as fortunate. Her sister, Jessica Drye Turner, took to Facebook to share the pain the family is experiencing.
In her post, dated September 30, Jessica opened up about the emotional struggle she faces in accepting the loss of both her parents and her nephew.
She shared, “I feel a strange sense of peace, knowing we will see them again one day. Nothing could bring them back after being with Jesus.”
Jessica went on to reflect on the peace she believes her parents now feel, free from the fear and panic of their final moments. However, she acknowledged the immense burden Megan carries. “It breaks my heart that Megan has to live with these memories, but they are no longer suffering […] It’s going to be a long and difficult journey for Megan,” Jessica wrote.
She also mentioned the challenges that lie ahead for her and their other sister, Heather Kephart. Turning her attention to her nephew, Jessica revealed, “Micah’s body was found about a quarter of a mile from where Megan was rescued […] He was such a beautiful little boy, and he always dreamed of being a superhero. Now, he is.”
Jessica then shared the heartbreaking detail of Micah’s last words, “Before he was swept away, he cried out, ‘Jesus! Please help me!’” She ended her post with a message of faith and strength, “I still call on His name, through this new grief. Strong faith. That’s my new motto.”
In addition to sharing her thoughts on the grief experienced by herself, Megan, and Heather, Jessica also provided a detailed recount of the terrifying moments her sister, nephew, and parents endured during the height of the storm.
Jessica revealed that Megan, who had been swept away by the floodwaters and became stuck between two trailers, was left waiting for three agonizing hours before finally being rescued.
Like Jessica, Heather’s friend Amanda Sprouse Simpkins also took to Facebook to share the heartbreaking news.
In her post, Amanda pleaded with her followers, saying, “Please pray for Megan, Jessica Drye Turner, Heather, and their entire family. The loss Megan has suffered is beyond words. She has lost everything. If you feel compelled to help, please donate. If you can’t, please keep them in your prayers.”
Amanda’s request for donations refers to the GoFundMe page that Heather set up for her sister.
“For Megan Drye, our miracle, who has faced a mother’s worst nightmare. She has survived the unimaginable but lost everything. The support of others will help her keep going, one breath, one step, and one day at a time,” reads part of the GoFundMe page’s description.
Adding to the heartbreak, Heather chose to use the last photo Micah’s grandmother had taken of him for the GoFundMe page. In the image, Micah is wearing a Jurassic World T-shirt, smiling brightly, while his grandmother is reflected in the door as she takes the picture.
Our deepest condolences go out to Micah’s mother, aunts, and the rest of the family as they grieve such a tragic loss.
Hurricane Helene’s aftermath continues to wreak havoc across several states, despite efforts to mitigate the storm’s impact. One such measure involved the closure of 15 schools across Georgia, as reported on September 26.
As Florida’s capital prepared for the impact of a powerful hurricane, one the region hadn’t seen in over a century, residents were strongly advised to brace themselves for the worst.
According to the BBC, Hurricane Helene, initially classified as a category 1 storm, was expected to escalate quickly into a category 4 by the time it made landfall in Florida. The official forecasts described the potential consequences as “catastrophic,” “life-threatening,” and “unimaginable.”
“People Only Know Me as a Freak,” The Wolf Man Struggles to Find a Job Outside the Circus
Jesús Aceves has hypertrichosis, which makes his hair grow abundantly over his face and back. Because of his condition, he’s also known as The Wolf Man. But he’s tired of this alias and wants to live a normal life.
Meet Jesús Aceves, a 55-year-old man born with a condition called hypertrichosis, which means he has abnormal hair growth over his body, especially his face. Although married with kids, Jesús isn’t fully happy with his living conditions. He says he and his family suffer discrimination. In an interview, one of his kids mentioned, “People call me names, and they even tell their kids not to be my friends.”
He worked in the circus all his life, traveling through several cities. But now, he’s tired of being seen as a freak. As a consequence of years on the road, he’s been known as The Wolf Man.
Back home and not in the circus anymore, he’s facing another challenge: finding a “normal” job. He needs to support his family since his wife works in temporary jobs.
After several failed job interviews, he agreed to try something he had always avoided: shave his face. He relied on his family barber to transform him, even creating eyebrows and lashes.
The experience was difficult since the face is an extremely sensitive body area, but both he and his wife believed that simply by shaving, he would be able to find a job.
Jesús did several interviews, and it’s confident that now he’ll find somewhere to work besides the circus. If this happens, he must shave his face every 2 days.
Although rare, some conditions aren’t impossible to have. Luckily, people find a way to overcome the difficulties a rare condition brings and strive in life. Hannah Tyre, for example, was born with osteogenesis imperfecta, meaning that her bones break very easily. But her love for makeup made her an internet influencer, reaching millions of followers. We hope that, by reaching the mainstream media, people with genetic diseases won’t suffer more discrimination.
Preview photo credit A True Story / Youtube
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