I, Charles Warsinske, am recently retired from my position as Manager of Community Development and Planning for the Quinault Indian Nation. In that capacity, I worked and became friends with Virginia Brings Yellow while planning to move the Village of Taholah to higher ground out of the tsunami inundation zone. This brief story details the depth of hardship that Virginia and her family experienced in 2021, a succession of true and tragic events. Virginia’s strength and faith have sustained her and her family throughout all that has happened. She now urgently needs our assistance. Please give what you can, and should you find yourself faced with seemly insurmountable situations, think about Virginia and her perseverance.

Virginia Brings Yellow is an Elder of the Quinault Indian Nation who spends her life in service to her family, church, community, and tribe. She has a deep faith born of and sustained by her participation in the 1910 Indian Shaker Church. In her work for the tribe, Virginia was instrumental in completing large development projects for the tribe. She has served on the Quinault Business Committee and was a Board Member of the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI) (10 years). She also participated in the Northwest Indian Housing Association and the National American Housing Indian Council for 17 years and served on the Washington Indian Gaming and the National Indian Gaming Associations for six years.

In early 2021, Virginia was diagnosed with Chiari malformation, a condition of brain swelling. She was treated at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle, undergoing surgery on April 16, 2021. Following the surgery, Virginia returned to her home in Taholah, when on April 29, 2021, she suffered a stroke and was flown by emergency helicopter from Taholah back to Swedish Hospital. The stroke caused total paralysis on her left side. While recovering at her daughter’s home, she experienced multiple seizures and was re-admitted to Swedish for the third time. After treatment, Virginia moved back with her family and community in Taholah. Throughout this episode of medical emergencies and months-long rehabilitation, it was her family and their faith in the 1910 Indian Shaker Church that sustained them all.

Fast forward to December 22, 2021, when Virginia’s husband, John, contracted COVID. Then early on Christmas morning, a fire broke out in the living room. Their son and daughter managed to move John and Virginia through the smoke and flames to get them out of the house. Returning several times to the home, the kids gathered what they could - car keys, cell phones, blankets. At the time, temperatures were below freezing, and snow was falling. The family finally managed to put the fire out using garden hoses, but not before the fire destroyed their possessions and much of their home. They called 911, but the fire department arrived after the fire was out. Four days later, on December 29th, Virginia contracted COVID.

Virginia and her family were raised humbly and have always helped their family and community. When I visited her before Christmas, her first words to me were, “God is great.” The family follows the Indian Shaker ways; listen, love, and carry-on Indian lifeways. But now, they urgently need our help to put their home and lives back together. Virginia says, "the fire shattered our hearts, yet we are lucky to be alive. Lucky our daughter and in-laws were there. But our hearts are still shattered… We are thankful to all our family who has supported us, to people like Lawrence Goodall Jr., who donated all my son’s work gear, helping him get back to work after being a hero saving his mom and dad’s lives.”

To rebuild their lives, Virginia and their family need $50,000 to repair the damage to the house and recover 33 years of possessions (household goods, clothing, and other needed items). Any amount will help, please donate as best you can to help my friend and her family in this time of need. If you can afford more, please send more than the recommended minimum.