There are many individuals that Texarkana could consider a hero from the aftermath of Hurricane Gustav. So many businesses, churches, and individuals opened their wallets and hearts to the evacuees that came to know Texarkana as home for a few days.
Yet, there is one individual that deserves special recognition for his untiring efforts to put medical “special needs” evacuees in a comfortable place. His name is Adrian Andrews.
Andrews is a native of Texarkana . He served in the U.S. Army as a combat engineer and later as an army medic. He was deployed to Bosnia , Kosovo , Albania , and twice to Afghanistan and Iraq . He was later given a medical discharge after being hit by a roadside bomb in 2004 and than being hit by enemy fire in Iraq in 2007. Andrews is currently the Bioterrorism Coordinator of Texarkana and Bowie , Red River, and Cass Counties . He serves on a lengthy list of volunteer positions including but not limited to the Lion's Club, The American Red Cross, TRAHC, and the Knights of Columbus, a charitable organization of St. Edwards Catholic church.
In his high school days in Texarkana , Andrews spent Thursday evenings helping cook at Randy Sam's Shelter. “My grandfather,” expresses Andrews, “is my greatest inspiration”. He served 32 years in the military, came home to Texarkana , and became involved in volunteer work. Andrews has followed in his grandfather's footsteps. The beginnings of service in high school would prove to be a foreshadowing of Andrew's future generosity.
As Hurricane Gustav approached, Andrews met with Buzz Baron, local Red Cross executive director, and created a list of medical special needs that Red Cross shelters would not be able to facilitate – and those are the individuals that Andrews created a shelter for.
He found a vacant building, previously the Otis Henry VFW building, and went to work cleaning and getting electricity and air conditioning. It was no easy task. Knowing that “special needs” evacuees would need a little different set up than standard shelters, Steve McKever of Senior Respiratory Solutions and a friend of Andrews, suggested having electrical outlets running from the ceiling and down throughout the middle of the shelter. This was invaluable to the level of care Andrews was able to offer. Hospital beds, oxygen concentrators, and various other medical equipment that Senior Respiratory Solutions donated would be able to be plugged in all over the shelter. Air conditioning was installed at just the right temperature for oxygen to be administered.
Andrews got access to the building on Tuesday, August 26 th , and worked day and night to get the building ready, even sleeping at the shelter, until evacuees arrived early Saturday morning August 30th. He was able to get cots from the Red Cross and set them up right before the evacuees arrived, but they had no sheets, blankets or pillows. Adrian went with a handful of volunteers, pooled their money, and purchased the much needed bedding.
Many patients had just been released from Port Arthur hospitals and were forced to evacuate. Amputees, diabetics, wheelchair bound, and oxygen dependants were just a few of the cases that Andrew was trying to help out. And he did. He rarely slept because there was so much care to be given. Andrews speaks of one man who had had a leg amputated four days before he was evacuated. “He was still getting used to having only one leg and would often forget in the middle of the night and try to walk around”, explains Andrews. Night after night, Andrews personally assisted this man along with trying to care for all the other evacuees at the shelter, whom he came to know fondly by name.
Andrews would see a need and attempt to fill it. He held an impromptu church service on Sunday to help comfort the evacuees. He was able to get some doctors and nurses in the community to volunteer and make rounds. He coordinated with Walgreen's to get prescriptions filled and much later was able to get laundry services.
Even with some help there was still so much need and so little manpower to go around. “I became so frustrated when I couldn't give the care that these people needed”, said Andrews. That is when Andrews' girlfriend in Houston, Jennifer Posten, started calling faith-based organizations. One organization sent volunteer chaplains, and another, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Texarkana, gathered over $2,000.00 worth of requested items, including:
When the evacuees of Hurricane Gustav left early Friday morning they wanted to give something to Andrews for all his incredible efforts. They didn't have the money to buy anything so they wrote on a donated towel, “God bless you, Adrian. We love you. Hurricane Gustav 2008” and then each evacuee signed it. Andrews plans to frame the towel. “I had no idea how much these people would touch my life.”
When asked why he did all this, Andrews' response is, “because it was needed… I have always liked helping people”, says Andrews. “I like making a difference. I wish more people would realize that the more you get involved, the more you have a chance of making the world a better place.”
And Andrews' story does not end there. He felt impressed, during his time at the shelter, to further his work on a non-profit organization he is trying to start. It is called TEAMVET which stands for Texas Establishment for the Advance of the Modern Veteran. He feels that the country is lacking in getting services to recent veterans. “They need help in writing resumes, figuring out the Internet and what sources to seek out. I hope I can help them,” expresses Andrews.
And, most likely, Andrews will help them. While taking care of a wheelchair bound woman at the shelter, Andrews patted her on the shoulder and said, “God bless you.” The woman's response was, He does, every time you put your hand on my shoulder, He does.” Adrian Andrews is living proof that one person can make a huge difference to the lives of many.
