Help the Hayes Family Recover from Disaster after Disaster

When it rains, it pours. Sometimes even inside your bedroom.

In the early morning hours of May 28th, we were awoken by the sounds of tornado sirens and calls from family members telling us to take cover as a bad storm was heading our way. Zach and I woke up Eleanor (age 3) and Charlotte (age 1), put them in their bike helmets, secured all 5 of our dogs, and hunkered down in our master bathroom. Not long after, our massive pecan tree snapped at the base and the entire tree came crashing down into our home, bees included. We climbed out through limbs and rain to safety. We had to evacuate our home and will not be able to return for the foreseeable future as the rebuilding process will be extensive.

Unfortunate, right? It gets worse.

We hurriedly booked an AirBNB for an extended stay that seemed perfect for our family, all 5 dogs included. The listing advertised a backyard, a dedicated workspace (important as Zach works from home), and a serene neighborhood. It seemed too good to be true. And it was. There was no access to the backyard from inside the home, there was nowhere for Zach to work, the beds were falling apart, and it was on the corner of a very loud and busy intersection. Despite having paid a pet deposit for all 5 of our dogs, we were only comfortable bringing 2 because of the backyard situation. Luckily we have nearby family willing to take in 3 of our dogs.

The house was a tin can and every car that drove past could be heard. We were woken up multiple times during the night as police sirens raced down the road. Loud music blared from a neighboring house all hours of the night with average stop time of 6am. In the meantime, both Eleanor and Charlie had started not feeling well and were diagnosed with strep throat. After many sleepless nights with two sick kids, I decided that we would just stay for the month we paid for and find different accommodations until we can move back home. Unfortunately, mass confusion happened and canceling the rest of our extended stay canceled our entire stay. We tried to communicate the mistake with our host and with AirBNB, which was met with zero empathy or compassion. We were given the option to rebook again (repaying the full price) or evacuate immediately. We stayed only 3 nights and are out $6000 thanks to an absurd cancellation policy. We cannot even get a refund for the 3 dogs that never even stepped foot on the property.

Zach, the girls, and I are now settled into a hotel for the time being and all 5 dogs have landed with family members. The stress of everything is really starting to weigh on us. We are all homesick. We miss our dogs. We miss our quiet neighborhood. We miss normalcy. Our main goal is to just cover the financial loss of the AirBNB disaster. Every little bit helps. We cannot thank you enough.

Love,

Leah, Zach, Eleanor, and Charlotte Hayes