All of Eddie's personal belongings are damaged in his bedroom due to an infestation of rats and water damage from Katrina.

Eddie chats with OBI volunteers. With a new refridgerator and ramp construction underway, he is slowly recovering from the ordeal.

SLIDELL, La. - When entering the trailer home of 91-year-old Eddie of Slidell, the damage is evident – shredded carpet and gnawed furniture against a backdrop of mold-ridden clothing and other items tossed haphazardly. Although Eddie's trailer received some damage from Katrina, an invasion of more than 200 rats finished the job by basically destroying everything in their path. The rats also chewed through pipe insulation in Eddie's trailer to the point that he does not have running water.

"I had more damage from an invasion of rats than I did from Katrina. I killed over 200 rats here. They chewed about everything. I can't get water through my water system, I have to bring it in through my garden hose," Eddie said, explaining that the hose is brought through his bathroom window in order for him to have water.

"I killed 60 rats with traps and the rest with rat poison," he said. "I was throwing six to eight rats out every morning. I lost track after I counted 200."

Eddie said the rats have been gone for about five months, but the destruction from the rodents and water damage remains. Wendy, a representative of STARC who partners with the Council of Aging, said helping Eddie is her "mission" and she has donated much of her personal time by helping him with repairs and cleaning. Wendy, who referred Eddie to Operation Blessing, said she first learned about him from Elderly Protective Services. STARC was scheduled to visit him the Friday before Katrina.

"We finally went after the hurricane and the site was so deplorable that I told my supervisor that we needed more help. It was so overwhelming that there was no way I had it in my budget to help him with what needed to be done," Wendy said.

When Eddie contacted OBI two weeks ago, he was still using the same refrigerator since Katrina. The refrigerator had not been cleaned out since the power outage occurred, resulting in an infestation of maggots. Eddie received a new refrigerator from OBI last week.

Another problem he faces is the difficulty of going up and down the stairs to his trailer since he uses a walker. OBI has committed to building a ramp for his trailer. "I'll be glad when I get the ramp built. It will help me," Eddie said. "I've had two friends and a grandfather who fell and broke their hips. I don't want to fall."

OBI volunteer Brian Mayeske is overseeing the ramp project. Mayeske, of Lakin, Kansas, has a team of four men who will build the ramp. The men are all members of the Christian Public Service, a Mennonite organization.

Eddie's wife died in 1995 after 61 years of marriage. Following her death, he sold their home and bought the trailer where he currently resides. He also visits his 70-year-old son twice a week in a nursing home.

According to Eddie, his health is fine with the exception of a "light heart attack" he suffered a while ago and breathing treatments he must take every four hours but sometimes stretches out to eight. He says he does not want to go to a nursing home.

"I want to be able to handle all of my affairs. As long as I'm on my feet, I want to be able to handle it. I past my 91st birthday. I'm going to try to make 92 or 93 if I get a chance," Eddie said as he showed his Louisiana state identification card bearing his date of birth as 1915.

Due to the increased elderly population in St. Tammany since Katrina, Wendy said they are facing numerous problems. "We've acquired so many people from the New Orleans area . . . one of the big problems that happened with Katrina and elderly is transportation. We lost our vans. Many people lost their support systems. It's been hard for us to add any clients because of the huge problems our current residents are facing," she added.

In addition to the new refrigerator and construction of the ramp for Eddie's trailer, OBI is still monitoring Eddie's needs and plans to continue to help the senior citizen recover.

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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