Barbara and Don Need Your Help

Barbara Sher, a long time Humboldt County and Saipan resident, and her husband Don Cohen need your help.

Typhoon Yutu's strongest impact, that dark black band around the eye, was right over Barbara and Don's house at the south end of Saipan. Satellite images showed sustained winds of 240 miles per hour in that exact area-- the same as the highest rating of tornado.

They managed to survive the night in a downstairs storage room but the entire rest of their house was ripped apart. All of their belongings were in the upstairs living quarters. With no roof and extreme humidity whatever remains will mold quickly. Their rental unit, a big part of their retirement income plans, was also destroyed. They had to have help escaping their demolished home, and didn't even have dry clothes to take with them.

The south part of the island was basically flattened and the rest of the island sustained major damage. A friend took Barbara and Don in for the night, but he had to sleep in the living room with them because his bedroom was too damaged. There is no running water or electricity on the island and it will probably be months.  I'm worried about the state of the water purification plant. The airport was damaged so we don't know when they can escape the island. On Saipan you own your home, the land is leased, so that will factor into all of this.

There is no insurance coverage for typhoon damage.

Basically, we don't know what comes next, what kind of life they can piece back together or where, but we do know they face a long, expensive road ahead and a show of financial support from friends right now would help shore up their ability and their courage. In a few hours they will wake up and go face the rubble. Let's show them how much they are loved at the same time.

Barbara is a pediatric occupational therapist who has dedicated her entire career to helping children with disabilities. You can learn more about her at http://www.gameslady.com. She has not only helped countless children improve their functioning, she has also been a strong advocate for universal acceptance of diversity in neurological and physical abilities.

The campaign was started by Barbara’s family and all donations will be transferred to her account to help both her and Don rebuild their lives. 

Here are some photos of their house.