By: Diya Dharamcy

Belinda Coss starts each day focused on what still brings her joy, her family, her creative hobbies and the strength she draws from helping others. That perspective has guided her and her loved ones as they navigate recovery after the April 25 tornado and hailstorm that impacted Springtown and Runaway Bay, Texas.

Belinda, a Springtown resident, has leaned on her family for support, including her corgi, Prince. Although her mobile home sustained damage when a fallen tree branch struck the roof, she remains equally concerned about neighbors who have experienced similar or more severe losses, including her daughter, whose roof and skirting were also affected.

“We just sat there, and then [the storm] cleared off,” Coss said. “Really, today’s the first day we’ve been out. It got too hot in the house.”

With power outages affecting the area, Belinda and her family stayed at the Red Cross shelter at Springtown First United Methodist Church, where they were able to cool off, charge their devices and stay in touch with loved ones.

Belinda brings a deep sense of resilience to every challenge she faces. A breast cancer survivor of 16 years, she credits her outlook to lessons learned during treatment, including multiple rounds of chemotherapy and the encouragement she received from others facing similar diagnoses.

“You got to live, you got to breathe, you got to smile…” It is a philosophy she adopted while undergoing treatment. Coss hopes sharing her story will inspire others to keep moving forward, even through crisis, she said.

Coss said that the decision to keep moving forward isn’t easy but feels comfort knowing there are people who rely on her and others she can rely on.

“I’ve got a friend who doesn’t drive, but if she needs to go somewhere or needs something, I’m there,” she said.

It is no surprise that Belinda cares deeply about her family, from her children to her great-grandchildren, who also live in Springtown and were hit by the storm.

When her daughter was born during the Vietnam War, their story connected with the Red Cross teams who worked to ensure her husband Dennis could return home in time.

“In 1970, he was stationed in Vietnam… y’all Red Cross brought him home to me. You let him be there with me.”

Knowing she and the rest of Springtown will have unconditional support, Belinda will not let the damage stop her from doing what she loves.

Aside from spending time with her husband, now married for 22 years, she makes an effort to keep up her hobbies, such as hand embroidery and quilting.

As recovery continues, Belinda looks forward to celebrating milestones, such as watching her grandsons graduate and welcoming new additions to the Coss family, confident that her community and the Red Cross will continue to move forward together.