Aid for Darci DeWulf: She Helped Us, Now Let's Help Her

I'm Sheila Kay Adams and I'd like to introduce you to my beloved friend, Darci Heil DeWulf.

She's an amazing mother, a great musician, ballad singer, and songwriter, and devoted to her home and the people here in Madison County, North Carolina.

It's been almost a year now since our beautiful home took on Hurricane 'Hellene' - yes, I changed the name from Helene because what we experienced was devastating in ways we couldn't imagine. It truly changed the world as we had known it for generations, and it was Hell! I watched in horror as the hurricane slammed into Florida, and then Hellene, unlike so many like her in the past, did not break up over land. She turned and began to race toward the foot of our mountains here in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. It took on an otherworldly image, like something living, growing, and spiraling tighter and tighter, almost like it was gathering all its forces and strength for its journey into places one of its kind had never been able to penetrate, certainly not one of its size! Our first reaction was based on our experiences from the past - "The mountains will stop it, break it up, and we'll get a lot of rain, some wind, maybe some isolated power outages, and then it'll head on up north."

As we all know now, that is not what happened.

For two days after stalling for a bit at the foot of the mountains, Hellene boiled up and threw herself over and into all the narrow coves and hollers, sweeping everything in her path into the streams, creeks, and rivers. The water rose 2 feet per minute for hours and hours. Our little county seat of Marshall was gone, underwater for two days. Horror stories of the fate of our mountain towns, communities, and people began to hit social media, and it was beyond words to explain such devastation. It was a true hellscape. Most people were in shock and traumatized, no power for weeks, no phone service, no roads, no home left, people missing. We were in desperate need, and help started to come to us. Everyday folks stepped up to form rescue missions, places for those who no longer had a home to go to, food for those who were hungry, little islands of safety and comfort in an unfamiliar world of stinking mud, disruption, loss, and dismay. Darci DeWulf stepped up and threw herself whole-heartedly into that awful place of emptiness and did what she does best... She volunteered at the NanoStead hub and became the person who ran the kitchen operations, and she was there until the end of April. They fed anyone that needed food - displaced people, rescue workers, relief workers, local folks - anyone who was hungry got food. They did three meals a day, six days a week, and sent out thousands of meals between what they prepared on site. Darci started up and organized the community dinners, brought together local chefs, other community volunteers, and local musicians to come sing and play music. They provided a space for the community to come together, talk, share stories, and a meal. There was no charge; they only asked for a donation and never refused anyone. Darci put together a holiday bake sale that raised $1,200 to pay heating bills for people in need.

Now, Darci is in need. She's had to have several surgeries through the years, and she needs another. Her Medicaid insurance was on board, and the surgery was scheduled, and then she got the call that Medicaid had withdrawn support.

On behalf of my friend who has helped so many find a little peace in this hellscape, I'm asking that you join me in helping her. I know everyone has a lot on their minds right now. Please take time to make a difference in Darci's world. She worked for little or nothing to help so many. Let's pull together and do the right thing for someone who did the right thing when she was needed.

I am forever grateful, and I know Darci will be too!

Thank you so much.

With all my love,

Sheila Kay Adams