I am forwarding the following messages for Chere McCoy -- a report from
the frontlines. Words fail me after reading her description. What a
nightmare to have to live through! And how lucky we feel, safe here in
Philadelphia! And yet, how inspiring to know that there are people out
there who care -- like Chere and Angela, and so many of the people on
the Ferret Mailing List!
Katie, Jeff, Bandit, Molly, Charlie & Pogo
>Begin Forwarded Messages<
FROM: Chere Mccoy, 76207,1724
TO: Katie Fritz & Jeff Lang, 71257,3153
DATE: 09/16/92 at 11:11
SUBJECT: Angela Supplies Pt1
Katie, Please send to FML, and also to each and every network or
you can reach.
Saturday 12 September, 1992 I woke at 6:00AM, showered, grabbed coffee
and began loading the Blazer. By 7:45 I was on the road to meet Diane
and Chris at the staging area. 8:00AM we began loading the supplies.
Food, liter, clothes, shoes, more litter, more food, medical supplies.
Both trucks were loaded and we went over the maps. On the freeway by
9:20. Miami is a distance from Vero Beach and I finally got there at
12:05PM. I met Angela, Juan, and two of The Miami Ferret Club Members
at a McDonalds near Miami International Airport. We all sat down to
talk a bit and watch for the second vehicle in the small convoy. By
12:30 still no sign of Diane and Chris, but lots of thunder lightening
and rain. The McDonald people were great - they honored my request to
turn on the GOLDEN ARCH's (the rain was driving so hard you couldn't
see the freeway). At 1:05 I spotted them and went running out side.
They stopped at the light and oh-my they went the wrong way (perhaps it
wasn't them at all). Juan's beeper went off at 1:20. He call the
number and there they were. Diane and Chris were at a Chili's
restaurant less than 2 blocks away. Juan went to get Diane and Chris.
Angela and I headed toward the warehouse. By 1:30 we all reached the
warehouse. It was pouring rain so we parked in the warehouse and began
to unload.
FROM: Chere Mccoy, 76207,1724
TO: Katie Fritz & Jeff Lang, 71257,3153
DATE: 09/16/92 at 11:14
SUBJECT: Angela Supplies Pt2
I had a camera, didn't grab it fast enough to catch the expressions of
Angela, Juan, and the two Miami Ferret Club members as they got the
first glance at the supplies. They stood there with these stunned
expression - their mouths hanging open. I actually had to yell " Are
we going to unload or what" to get them to physically move. The
unloading began, by 2:45 all supplies were unloaded and Angela was
packing supplies into the back of her car to take the the shelter for
immediate use. Juan and Angela wanted to take Chris, Diane, and myself
to what use to be their home. Angela told me that before the hurricane
hit it took twenty minutes to get to her home. She also told me that
last Saturday it had taken them FOUR HOURS to get from the Warehouse to
her home. Our trip took an hour (this did not include the stop we
made at the South Kendall Vet Hospital). The closer to Cutler Ridge
the worse the devastation became. There were no stop lights -
electrical lines down everywhere - Army and police were directing
traffic. We finally got to Cutler Ridge area and eventually to the
South Kendall Clinic. The Clinic is in one of those small mall areas -
signs all gone; all the glass in all windows - gone; - buildings
with big gaping holes everywhere. As we got to the Clinic Angela
spotted a young girl with her ferret. Angela stopped to talk with her
and found that the girls other ferret was in the hospital - a Victim of
Andrew, she did not know when her ferret would be released.
FROM: Chere Mccoy, 76207,1724
TO: Katie Fritz & Jeff Lang, 71257,3153
DATE: 09/16/92 at 11:15
SUBJECT: Angela Supplies Pt. 3
Angela gave the young girl her phone number and told her she had
supplies; to call and Angela would help. The young girl was overjoyed
and tears of relief streamed down her face. As we entered the clinic
destruction was evident. 3/4 of the ceiling tiles were gone and there
was a large gapping hole in the side of the building. The doctors did
however have a generator and were working on patients. They can't do
surgery there yet because the surgical room must be sterilized and they
don't have air conditioning, it was stifling! A doctor took us on a
tour and he was so proud that they were back up and working. Angela
briefed him to make sure he gave all the ferret patients mom's and
dad's her phone number (Angela has still been unable to reach 99.9% of
her club members). We left and proceeded to Angela's house (I had
visited the house/shelter before Andrew Hit. Angela lived in a lovely
neighborhood with large old oak trees and well manicured yards). I
couldn't recognize a thing - there were no street signs and all the
tress were lying cut up beside the road (they had all been uprooted
thrown across roads and power lines so the neighbors had cut and
stacked them for pickup this was true on every. single road for miles
and miles and miles and miles) Juan and Angela became very excited as
we neared her street - there was a yellow warning sign indicating road
work - Juan kept saying "Look Angie - maybe they cleared our street".
Angela and Juan were estatic the road crew had cleared the 15 foot high
pile of debris which had been in their yard. We arrived at Angela's
House/Ferret Shelter I didn't recognize it.
FROM: Chere Mccoy, 76207,1724
TO: Katie Fritz & Jeff Lang, 71257,3153
DATE: 09/16/92 at 11:21
SUBJECT: Angela Supplies Pt 4
Every window was boarded up save one - you could tell where the
neighbors had helped Juan put the roof back on. There were forms on her
door stating it was the Espinet house and State Farm was the Insurer.
We entered - we were awestruck. Andrew's winds had blown through the
house with such force that there were leaves (tree leaves) imbedded in
living room, hallway, and bedroom walls. Andrew had literally stripped
the wallpaper off the wall. There were no carpets, the brand new ones
they had bought a month before had to be cut off the floor and thrown
out. There was glass everywhere. The only furniture left in the
house was Angela's bedroom set and it was in ruins. Angela had
told me she had boarded up the house and put her personal ferrets in
the living room (god only knows how they survived), she had left the
healthy shelter ferrets in the ferret room in their cages. This room
was specially built and equipped by Juan, it was the ONLY room in the
house that escaped great damage. The walls had been done in special
Ceder paneling, they stood in-tact and were not marked or marred it was
truly amazing. We ventured into what use to be the back yard; had to
watch where we walked there were wires of all sizes and shapes. At this
point Angela became very excited - she had spied a Squirrel (it should
be noted that the only animals we saw were with their humand, there
were no birds anywhere). Angela was truly happy and vowed to be back
with Squirrel food.
FROM: Chere Mccoy, 76207,1724
TO: Katie Fritz & Jeff Lang, 71257,3153
DATE: 09/16/92 at 11:23
SUBJECT: Angela Supplies Pt 5
We departed Angela's neighborhood and headed to the couple's home who
are housing Angela, Juan, and the ferrets. As we drove Angela said
with a smile "Chere it's not so bad, 2 miles south of us everything is
flat" (I knew what she said to be true I had seen it from the air). We
drove for what seemed like hours through subdivision after subdivision
of devastation. Each house had the name of the insurer painted either
on the house or a big sign outside the house one said "Prudential the
rock that moved". McDonald's Corporation had made the mistake of
building their East Coast Headquarters near Cutler Ridge. It had been
a lovely place with a wild life refuge and gardens; Angela said you
could never see it from the road before Andrew hit: But there it stood
a once beautiful 14 story building totally destroyed - there was no
more wild life refuge - hell there were no more trees. We finally got
to the home where Angela, Juan and 40 ferrets are staying. The ferrets
were in their cages healthy and to all appearances happy. The ferret
room is beautiful to behold it is spotlessly clean three sides of the
wall are glass and the woman who is letting the ferrets stay their paid
to have tinting put all around (at a cost of $250.00) so the light
wouldn't bother the ferrets. Angela even has some type of special
machine on the floor that keeps the dust out of the room. Angela and
Juan have a small room with a fold out couch, a bathroom and a utility
room.
FROM: Chere Mccoy, 76207,1724
TO: Katie Fritz & Jeff Lang, 71257,3153
DATE: 09/16/92 at 11:26
SUBJECT: Angela Supplies Pt 6
Chris, Diane and I left Miami at 5:30 and arrived back in Vero at
8:00PM. My first act was to query Larry on how the kids (ferrets) were
Each kid had had their exercise and potty trays cleaned, food bowls
filled and water bottles checked, all were happy. Larry made
drinks and we let FRODO (a 3yr Silver mitt from Miami Ferret Shelter)
out to play. Frodo is very well adjusted considering what she's been
through but so are all the others which we have brought back. We told
Larry of our shock at the situation and of Juan and Angela's great
attitudes. We also talked of the house; Angela and Juan had discussed
of fixing it - we three knew it was not fixable. At this closing I
must give you a little background on the people who went to Miami on
the Air Evacuation and on the supply haul - you will understand
why: Chris retired from U.S. Marines Last Friday (September 11,1992)
after 20 years. Chris was in Beriut and also served in Saudi during
desert storm (and saw action). Diane is also retired Marines (1985) and
currently serving in Indian River County Sheriff's department Probation
Division. Diane was also in Beriut. Larry is a retired Air Force
Fighter Pilot with two tours in Vietnam. I am retired Air Force - was
in Turkey during the military take over, and later went to Afganastan
as a photographer (during their war). So when we tell you what we saw
was beyond description - total destruction we KNOW OF WHAT WE SPEAK.
Angela will continue to need help in the coming weeks and months We are
currently working on bringing ferrets out of Miami and distributing
them to homes and hospitals in the north. I truly hope that you will
search your hearts and pocket books to help Angela and the ferrets.
Quite frankly although Angela has no military back ground she exhibits
what is sought after by each and every one of our nations services,
that special heart, mind and soul attitude that continues on and never
ever gives up. Angela Espinet is very special Signed Chere McCoy,
President Ferret Friends of Indian River County.
FROM: Chere Mccoy, 76207,1724
TO: Katie Fritz & Jeff Lang, 71257,3153
DATE: 09/16/92 at 11:27
SUBJECT: Angela Supplies Final
TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 16, 1992. I neglected to tell you all that many of the
Ferrets at the Miami Shelter are staying in Large Bird Cages (Andrew
Stole their ferret cages). Recently we received 11 cages to take to
Angela (more cages needed), we still have a great need for Hammocks - so
if you have these or ANY OTHER SUPPLIES you can send you may send them
to: Ferret Friends of IRC, %Chere McCoy 8775 20th Street, Lot 614,
Vero Beach, Florida 32966.
>End Forwarded Messages<
[Posted in FML issue 0308]
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