Katrina survivors still trying to find a foothold
Things haven't gotten much easier for former New Orleans residents
By Angela Randazzo Special to the Acorn

BILL SPARKES/Acorn Newspapers HOLDING ON- James and Albertha Raphael relocated to Simi Valley after losing their beloved New Orleans' apartment to Hurricane Katrina. They especially miss their children and grandchildren.

A year and a half after surviving the horror of Hurricane Katrina, Albertha and James Raphael are still struggling to put their lives back together.

The Raphaels, their son and his two young children spent two terrifying days trapped in their New Orleans apartment as flood waters engulfed the city after the levees broke in August 2005.

"You never forget anything like that," Albertha said. "It was hot and we didn't have any air or water, so we just did the best we could until we were rescued."

Picked up by boat, the family eventually received the medical care they needed. And while they all survived, the life they knew in their once-thriving neighborhood was over.

Starting over

After staying with Albertha's sister in Baton Rouge, the couple moved to Simi Valley in October 2005 to stay with James' sister, Martina Peters. Their son, James Jr., 27, and his family went to Alexandria, La., while their daughter, Joanne, 35, and her family moved to Landover, Md.

Now living in a small apartment at a senior complex in town, Albertha, 56, said she misses the close-knit family she had in New Orleans.

"My daughter's two kids were always at my house and they would come and stay with me in the morning and then go to school," Albertha said. "After school they'd stay at my house until their mother came home from work."

James said Simi Valley is a nice place, but he admits he misses his hometown.

"I miss my friends mostly and the overall atmosphere," James, 59, said.

The Raphaels talk to their children by telephone, but it's not the same as having them close by, Albertha said.

"They're going through stuff and you're going through stuff. You can't help them and they can't help you because you're so far apart," she said.

Struggle continues

As it would turn out, Hurricane Katrina was only the first of several obstacles that have tested the Raphaels' spirit in the last two years.

The couple had to start over after the storm. They lost all their belongings, including three cars. Both husband and wife have serious medical conditions.

Last year James suffered a stroke and had sextuple-bypass surgery. In July, complications from that surgery forced him to have his leg amputated.

Albertha, a long-term nurse, admits it hasn't been easy.

"We've been hanging on by a thread," she said.

Albertha worked as a nurse for 33 years in New Orleans hospitals before the hurricane. James worked as a security guard.

In fact, the couple met working in the same hospital and married in 1980.

Now James is Albertha's only patient.

"I've been taking care of my husband. I kept up with his doctor's appointments and I get him where he has to go and fix his meals," Albertha said. "I have a full day. I do what I can and what I can't do, I can't do."

Albertha is recuperating from two major surgeries and going for kidney dialysis three times a week.

Another major concern in their lives is getting the money they need from such government agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

"We got some money (from FEMA) and then they told us they were going to pay us for the cars we lost and then they changed their minds," Albertha said. "In everything you try to do, it's a battle. You have to fight for it."

The Raphaels say they're frustrated with the lessthanhelpful response they received from MediCal and the state of California.

After James' leg amputation, Albertha said, MediCal only provided an inhome nurse and therapist for a week before her husband was left to fend for himself.

"My daughter lives in Maryland. That state has done a lot for the people who evacuated. The state of California has done nothing for us- nothing," Albertha said. "I realize it's not their fault. It's not our fault either, but then what do you do?"

Still in need of assistance

Albertha was disappointed by the limited response from local nonprofit charities and residents after a story on their dire circumstances ran in The Acorn a year ago.

"Only two or three people even commented or tried to do anything to help us out," Albertha said.

One of the local groups that stepped in was the St. Rose, Mother Teresa Christian Service at St. Rose of Lima Church.

"They're very nice folks. They've been through a lot," said Mary Flandez, the organization's director. "We're helped them with food and their apartment. We help them whenever they need it. Albertha always wants to give back. She brings her husband along and volunteers here to help others."

Though the group helped the couple secure a place to live, ongoing bills and medical expenses still challenge the displaced pair.

Even so, going back to New Orleans to rebuild is not an option.

"We're not going back to Louisiana. Every year between June and November is hurricane season, and who knows when another disaster like Katrina will happen and you may not be as lucky to get out," Albertha said.

The Raphaels are grateful for the help they've received,but nothing can compensate for their losses. "What was good back then was my children and grandchildren; we were all together. Holidays are not holidays anymore," Albertha said.

There are some bright spots. The Raphaels' son James and his children visited last Thanksgiving and the couple has made friends in the housing complex.

"We've got to be friends with most of the people," Albertha said. "Everybody looks out for everybody else and we help each other."