On February 19th, a tornado hit my mom’s home in Bloomington, IN. We’re incredibly grateful that my mom (Mary Dedek) and my sister (Jenna Dedek) are safe. The past few days have been overwhelming, but we’ve also been deeply encouraged by the family, friends, neighbors, and community who have already stepped in to help. Thank you everyone for all of the hard work and support!
The damage to the house is extensive and Mary and Jenna will be staying in a hotel until it’s repaired. Jenna’s bedroom window was completely blown out, her wall is bowed inward and worsening, and both her closet wall and the shared bathroom wall were blown through. The roof over that section of the house is damaged, there are large cracks in multiple walls and ceilings, and water came in from the storm overnight.
I included a photo of Mary and Jenna taken just a few moments before the tornado hit. Since the house doesn’t have a basement, they were in the only windowless part of the home. They knelt in the hallway, praying the Hail Mary, while the tornado ripped walls off the house less than 15 feet away.
Mary’s home insurance will cover the structural repairs and many of the lost belongings. However, there are significant costs that aren’t fully covered. The insurance deductible alone is $5,445.
Additionally, the house is on a 10-acre property and dozens of trees were uprooted or snapped in half. Insurance will only cover the removal of trees that directly hit a structure, so most of the fallen trees aren’t covered. In the yard alone, more than 30 trees came down. In the previously wooded areas, there are dozens more.
Our fundraising goal will help cover:
- The $5,445 insurance deductible
- Professional removal of fallen trees (estimated at ~$1,000 per tree)
- Ongoing cleanup and recovery expenses
Any funds raised will go directly toward these recovery costs. If we exceed our fundraising goal, the funds will continue going to tree removal and restoring the property.
If you’re not able to give financially, we are also spending weekends at the house and would be grateful for help in person.
We are incredibly thankful for the community that has shown up so far. Your support, in any form, means more than we can say.