Losing Everything and More: Hurricane Ian's Destruction and How this Family Found Hope Through Finding Valerie's House.

Angela, Evan, and Diane

Diane, a widow, and her 13-year-old son, Evan, began attending Valerie's House group nights shortly after Evan's father died in July of 2022. Diane remembers the day the police came to her house after she had found her husband. 

"I was in a haze," Diane said. 

She also said she could see the officer's mouth moving but wasn't hearing any of it. The officer handed her a Valerie's House business card, which she glanced at and then handed to her son.

Diane's world was spinning, her husband was gone, and she wasn't sure which way to turn or how she was going to make it through this.

"I was worried about my mom and how we were going to live," Evan said. "I promised my dad when he got sick that if anything happened to him, I would take care of mom."

A few days passed when Evan came to his mom and asked to reach out to Valerie's House. She knew she had seen the name before but wasn't sure what he was talking about. He was referring to the card the police officer had given them.

"I don't think I would have remembered if Evan hadn't brought it up, and even if I wanted to curl up and shut away from the world, Evan asked me to reach out, so I made the call," Diane said. 

Angela hugs Evan

They were able to spend their first few group nights finding fellowship with the other families and facilitators. They were starting to feel more comfortable sharing, and things for the two of them were slowly beginning to feel a little less dark. Evan even started looking forward to his group nights.

Then, on September 28, 2022, Hurricane Ian hit.

"My husband was a very handy man; he fixed everything and had actually just completed renovating our kitchen on July 1, 2022, only one day before he died," Diane said. 

They had made their home exactly how they dreamed it would be, and in a single afternoon, one of the most devasting hurricanes wiped out their memories and possessions. First, they were left grieving the loss of their husband/father, and now the loss of their home with their memories.

On top of the internal pain, their home and neighborhood were a constant reminder of loss. The local area looked apocalyptic, with boats in the road, streetlights broken, trees ripped from the ground, and constant news with images of unrecognizable landmarks and death toll numbers rising. The grief was unbearable.

Valerie's House Founder and CEO Angela Melvin heard of what happened and immediately reached out to assure Diane and Evan that they would not have to go through this alone.

Evan working on Construction

Diane and Evan began coming to Valerie's House more regularly for support. Valerie's House gave them a safe place to feel their emotions.

"I would go and just cry and cry," Diane said. "That's really all I could do."

Angela and the team were able to get the family in touch with local companies and resources that were going to help them rebuild. Little by little, slivers of hope started to peer through, and Diane and Evan were able to see they weren't alone.

Diane said that her son Evan reminds her a lot of her husband. He is a sweet young boy who holds himself with a sense of peace despite any chaos that surrounds him. He had made a promise to his father and intended to keep it. He was going to find a way to be useful, as he said, and decided that he was going to be the one to help rebuild the home. 

Diane was nervous at first but so proud of him and was going to support him. 

He is now spending time with friends of the family who are teaching him to lay drywall. He rides his bike to the house every day, where he makes a checklist & monitors moisture levels at least once a week. He has taken on a role of responsibility, making him feel good. 

"A part of me hopes my dad is watching over us and is proud of what I'm doing," said Evan.

Evan with his Father

While they are rebuilding their home, the two of them moved in with Diane's oldest daughter, Evan's sister, her grandson, and their golden retriever. They found themselves a little crowded but were grateful they had a place to go.

In her Wink News interview, Diane said their living situation gave them more time to talk and reminisce with each other.

"I have gone from feeling pain so bad I wanted to quit life to feeling at peace. I don't even have a home, and I can say I feel so much love from Valerie's House and my family. It's a beautiful feeling," Diane said in her most recent NBC-2 interview.

Step by step and tear by tear, their family has started putting the pieces of their lives back together. Valerie's House is honored to be there for them throughout it all.

When it feels like your whole world has been ripped out from underneath you, remember Diane and Evan and that it's ok to reach out for support.

"One of the worst things we can do is not talk about our grief; keeping it all inside will make it worse. Just try it," Evan said.