“I need the machine. I can’t sleep without it, I need it.”
Penny Meachan lives in Asheville, NC. She is currently staying in an American Red Cross shelter after her home lost electricity and water due to Hurricane Helene. She needs a CPAP machine to be able to breathe while she is sleeping.
“The day the storm came, on Friday, the lights flickered, and I didn’t think too much about it,” Penny said. “It went on and off, and then stayed off. Then my machine went off.”
Penny added she was trying to sleep but woke up because she couldn’t breathe.
“I don’t know if you know about CPAPs, but when people are snoring aggressively at night, it’s their body saying ‘wake up! We're not getting any air,’” Penny explained. “This helps me. I don’t snore. I am breathing through the night because my breathing is consistent.”
She said during the day, she is okay because she is awake but at night, the machine is critical for her.
“It was a rough Friday night,” Penny said. “Saturday, I got up, I packed a little bag, and I was scared. I knew I need to find a medical van, police, or somebody to take me somewhere I could plug in.”
Luckily, Penny was able to find help from people surveying the damage at her neighbor's home.
“The lady next door, I went to her: ‘I am scared right now. Can you help me with something,’” Penny asked.
Her neighbor was able to help Penny calm down and offer support. Soon the two neighbors realized they didn't have running water either. Penny’s neighbor offered to take her to the shelter at AB Tech. Several other neighbors joined the move to AB Tech because trees around the area had flattened their cars.
“People here thought there was going to be a little rain, maybe some flooding, but never floating a whole house and people's trucks down the river,” exclaimed Penny. “Nobody was expecting this!”
Once she found out more information about where to go from community members, she was told AB Tech Medical Hospital was where she needed to be.
“They had set up for CPAP and people on respirators and oxygen tanks and stuff like that,” Penny said. “Then it started to get really busy, and I just needed a plug in.”
Penny learned about one of the Red Cross shelters in Asheville with power and went there that same day.
“Supplies, a hot shower—I was able to shower for the first time a few days ago,” Penny said. “It’s safe, comfortable enough. I can’t complain about anything. I’m just really grateful.”
She said she also sings in the shelter to help keep her stress and blood pressure down, adding that she has diabetes.
“I keep talking to neighbors and saying ‘Everything is going to be alright. We’re going to get through this,’” Penny confidently said. “It feels like a long time right now, but it’s only been a little over a week. We will get through it; it will take some time, but we will. That’s my attitude. If I get stressed, I’ll do more singing, I'll go for a walk.”
Penny added—when she gets stressed or worried, she looks at what she has while at the shelter.
“I have warm food, I have a place to shower, I can do laundry—I got to wash and wear my own clothes again,” Penny exclaimed.
The volunteers helped me settle in and they fed me some Spanish rice and chicken, and some avocado. That was everything to me. You guys here, the Red Cross have been angels. You guys have been so wonderful to me.”
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