Lacayo Family

Friends & Family, 

First I want to say how thankful I am that my parents and brother are alive today. I can’t imagine my world without them in it and it pains me to even think that I could be planning 3 funerals right now instead. I can’t even begin to say how grateful I am for that because they are not replaceable. Secondly, thank you to everyone who has reached out to make sure they are all safe. I’ve been overwhelmed with so many texts, emails, phone calls, etc., so many that my battery keeps dying. Thank you all!

October 10, 2018 was a devastating day for many residents in the Florida Panhandle. Many of you know that my (mom, dad and brother) family lives in Florida. My mom (Diane) & dad (Dennis) actually live in Mexico Beach which was directly hit by Hurricane Michael. Mexico Beach is a beautiful, small, tight knit beach community and I believe they will come back stronger. However it is going to be an extremely long road for the many who were directly affected. 

My parents have been together since 1975 so one can only imagine the highs and lows they’ve experienced.  The past 12 years have had a lot more downs than ups for them but somehow they made it through. My dad was severely injured twice in a year which left him with a broken back (twice) and went through countless surgeries. Somehow my mom took care of him 24 hours a day and was still able to make ends meet, barely. Those few years were probably the worst of their lives but they are resilient.

Around 2009/2010 they did what they had always dreamed of doing and moved to the beach, Mexico Beach. They live only feet away from the beautiful Gulf of Mexico and things were looking up for them. But in the matter of 24 hours, their lives were forever changed by this monster of a storm.

No one knows what they will be able to salvage if anything, and one can only imagine what they have accumulated in their 43 years together. Some of it is irreplaceable and some not so much.

I don’t know exactly what they need and at this point they probably couldn’t even tell you because it’s all so overwhelming. What we do know is that they will have to start over. I can’t imagine how they must feel as I’ve never lost like that. But anyone who lost a everything they owned in Katrina or any other massive, natural disaster can relate. Needless to say, they will need funds to get them started on this long road ahead.

It doesn’t matter how much you can contribute because anything will help. At this point they don’t know what to do next, I’m positive they’ll figure it as always but they don’t have a foundation to start from at this point. They are completely starting over, but they would never ask anyone for a dime because that’s just how they are and have always been, so I am asking for them. I would give them the world if I could because they have given to me and my brother our entire lives. Unfortunately I’m not a gazillionaire so I can’t do that and I wouldn’t ask if it weren’t absolutely necessary.  

Please donate if you can, no amount is too small! Anything would be greatly appreciated. If you’d like to donate in any other ways please send a private message. 

Thanks in advance!
Erika Lacayo Davis & Dalila Seruntine