Help Sean, Char and Jack DeGraw recover from Ian

Hi, I'm Michelle Bixby from State College, Pa, raising money for my cousins affected by Hurricane Ian in Port Charlotte, FL.

Hurricane Ian left behind some of the most devastating damage in Port Charlotte, Florida, where my cousin Sean lives with his wife Char and 10-year-old son Jack. The storm left them without a habitable home or source of income as their local business sustained flood damage. Despite their unimaginable losses, Char and Sean selflessly gathered fuel, water, and emergency supplies to distribute to their neighbors. They offered their time and labor to clear the debris and begin rebuilding their once vibrant community.

Hurricane Ian hit them starting Wednesday, 9/28, around 3 p.m. and relentlessly battered their home and community for 10 consecutive hours of sustained 150 mph winds, torrential rain, and severe storm surges. When I spoke to my Aunt Amy, she shared the terrifying experience, whispering through sobs so her grandson, Jack, wouldn’t hear her and relive the scariest hours of his young life. Jack's 10th birthday is today, October 3rd.

My Aunt Amy evacuated her Punta Gorda home hours before Ian made landfall and joined Sean and his family 15 miles north at his home in Port Charlotte, because she thought it’d be safer. During the height of the storm, she huddled with the others as trees succumbed to the fierce winds and slammed through their roof, making way for rain waters to soak the insulation, creating the ideal environment for mold to grow. The same ruthless winds took windows and siding and left them at the mercy of the storm, fearing for their lives. Thankfully, they were more fortunate than others and survived with no injuries.

In downtown Port Charlotte, Sean and Char’s printing and shipping business, MBA Business Center, sustained flood damage from storm surges. This business is their only source of income, and they are unsure when they’ll be able to reopen.

They’ve been without power for 6 days and are uncertain when it’ll be restored, but after hotel hopping for a few days, they have a safe place to stay at my Aunt Amy’s home, which sustained minimal damage.

Thankfully, Sean and Char have home insurance, but their deductible is $12,000, and with no income, they will not be able to restore their home until they can raise the money to pay the insurance company’s deductible. Additionally, insurance companies will be inundated with hundreds of thousands of claims; building supplies will be limited and challenging to secure. Fuel will be scarce due to families forced to leave the rubble and fuel their generators.

PLEASE, if you have anything to spare to help my family rebuild their lives after the devastation of Hurricane Ian, I will be forever grateful. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.