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ANNA Members Rally Strongly to Help Katrina Victims
by ANNA President Suzann VanBuskirk
I
have strong ties to Louisiana. I was born in New Orleans more than 50
years ago. Although I lived there with my parents and older sister for
only 2 years before returning to the rural, western Ohio town in which
my parents had been raised, my family holds fond memories of our life
in this vibrant, colorful city. My husband was raised in rural
Louisiana and attended Louisiana State University (LSU), and my
daughter and her family live near Opelousas.
Last
year, our country faced the worst natural disaster in U.S. history as
Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast and, within a matter of hours,
changed the lives of thousands. I remember praying as I watched the
news that New Orleans would be spared, experiencing a fleeting hope
that was washed away when the levies broke, leaving devastation and
destruction.
Looking
back, 5 months have passed and many individuals and families affected
not only by Katrina, but also Rita and Wilma, continue to salvage what
was spared and are trying to rebuild. For some, it will take years.
Looking forward, I am confident that the human spirit of the citizens
of our country will prevail and they will restore homes, businesses,
and communities.
ANNA Members’ Stories Regarding Katrina
ANNA
members participated in the Hurricane response and recovery effort in
many ways that have been previously documented. We were blessed with a
generous grant from Amgen that was used to provide assistance to many
of our members. Following are just a few examples of the stories
members have shared.
“Since I’m the bread winner and I’ve been displaced due to Hurricane
Rita, I don’t have sufficient money to pay all the bills. Our hospital
is doing cost-cutting due to damages of the said hurricane and I can’t
complete my hours as a full-time dialysis nurse, and we don’t have a
lot of the patients like we used to do.”
“My family and I have lost everything. The money will be used to
purchase gas, clothing, furniture, and books for my middle son, who is
in college. We will move into an apartment in Baton Rouge in November
2005 and will use the money to also pay for rent and utilities. We will
be grateful for whatever the Amgen grant will give to my family. This
has been a great change for me and my family – it seems like a dream.
My sons are really dealing with this hard. They are happy one minute
and sad the next. But I know there is a GOD and he will take care of
us. Thanks again for everything, and keep us in your prayers.”
“Beaumont had mandatory evacuation on Thursday, September 22, 2005. My
family and I evacuated to Ruston, LA where my daughter and her roommate
rent a trailer. My daughter is attending Louisiana Tech University
there. My brother-in-law, his wife and their two kids also evacuated to
the same place. I am requesting aid to help offset the cost of gas and
food while we were displaced. My home received roof damage and we are
still waiting to hear from our insurance company, but at least we have
a home that is still standing. Thank you for the chance to receive
additional help.”
Sue McManus, an active member ANNA (Fleur de Lis Chapter) who requested
grant money to provide a meeting for dialysis caregivers in the
Opelousas area, wrote in her grant application about the tireless
sacrifices she witnessed. “The hurricane Katrina/Rita experience (as
most crises do) has brought out the best and worst in mankind. I have
personally experienced dialysis staff and local volunteers going above
and beyond, with smiles on their fatigued faces, caring for the needs
of waves of hurricane evacuees and their families. In the early
aftermath of hurricane Katrina and after a long day at the dialysis
center, I received a call that there were several busloads of dialysis
patients who had not received dialysis in 3-5 days. It took but a few
phone calls and not only did the staff from my center respond and
return to the clinic that night, but also the staff in a ‘competitive’
dialysis clinic in this small town with two dialysis clinics. The buses
came and evacuees were dialyzed into the wee hours of the morning while
we had to arrange for shelter and transportation, because the buses
were commandeered and sent back to New Orleans to get more people.
There is much more to the story, but the point I want to focus on is
the great response of the dialysis clinics’ staff that night and the
continued extra effort put forth as the days turned into weeks and
weeks now into months after Katrina and Rita.”
Looking Ahead to Future Disasters
Although
the renal community has been acknowledged for its collaborative efforts
and responsiveness during last year’s hurricanes, we recognize that
other disasters can and will occur. On January 19, 2006, Southeast Vice
President Sue Cary represented ANNA at the Renal National Disaster
Summit in Washington, DC. The goal of the summit was to form a
coalition that would be prepared to respond to national disaster of any
origin. ANNA has been asked to take the lead on coordination of Nursing
and Technical Volunteers.
On behalf of ANNA and the Board of Directors, I wish to thank all those
who have given so selfishly in response to the hurricane disaster last
year. Nephrology nurses, once again, have demonstrated their value and
contribution to assuring that patients with kidney disease continue to
receive quality care and treatment even in the worst of times! We have
much to do to rebuild and to plan for future disaster response, and I
am confident that our association will continue to take a leadership
role in these efforts.
Suzann VanBuskirk, BSN, RN, CNN
ANNA President
Member, Baltimore Chapter
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