Dear Extreme Makeover Home Edition:
The people most qualified to write this nomination for Nashville flood victims Nathan and Hollie Birckhead are currently in the trenches of flood recovery on behalf of this precious family, so please bear with me as I try to do justice to their amazing story.
From the moment Nathan and Hollie Birckhead first saw the house at 6205 River Court in Brentwood, Tennessee they knew it was the one for them. The oak tree lined river behind the home and rolling hills beyond it were the epitome of peacefulness. And peace was certainly something the young couple needed. Nathan's mother had died of cancer just prior to him meeting Hollie, Hollie's older brother ("Chuck") had cancer (He was recovering from a 16 hour surgery/radiation) and the Birckheads were dealing with infertility issues.
Yes, a little peace would be nice.
Soon, Nathan and Hollie became pregnant with TRIPLETS! Imagine their excitement.
Sadly, Hollie's beloved brother, Chuck, died of a rare cancer 18 weeks into her pregnancy. He never met his nephews and niece, one of whom, "Charlie", bears his name.
In December 2007, the triplets (Charlie, Jake and Kaylee) were born eleven weeks prematurely with delicate lungs and fragile immune systems. Jake was on oxygen for the first 8 months of his life and Charlie continues to require daily breathing treatments. The triplets were essentially quarantined to their home for the first two years of their lives because exposure to other children/germs posed too great of a risk for RSV (which would send them back to ICU at best).
Finances were tight too. Mounting medical bills, Nathan's school loans, diapers, wipes and formula purchases multiplied by three were taking their toll. And that peaceful, idyllic river that ran behind the house? Well, it now seemed like an occupational hazard considering their three babies would soon be crawling and then walking....
They tried to sell the house. Twice. But to no avail.
Imagine keeping a house ready for realtor showings with triplets! Whew! And guess what? Completely unexpectedly, the Birckheads were expecting baby #4!
About that peace....
December 10, 2009 - Sam was born
December 17 - Hollie turned 36
December 18 - Nathan and Hollie celebrated their 4th Anniversary
December 20 - The Triplets turned Two.
Four Children. Four Years. Wow!
On the afternoon of May 1, 2010 Hollie and Nathan Birckhead returned home after a wonderful morning out alone with their five month old son, Sam, thanks to a "Parents Morning Out" program that had cared for their triplets for a few hours. The parents put the triplets down for their naps and started watching weather reports about flash flood warnings in the area.
The river in their backyard began to rise. At first, they saw no cause for alarm. They'd seen the water reach their backyard time and time again. But, they soon realized this time was different. The water was rising quickly and it wasn't stopping. All of a sudden, their house was surrounded by water - all the way to the court.
Time was running out. Nathan carried all three toddlers at once from their attic bedroom, waded through raging waters and got them to dry ground in the middle of the court. A neighbor watched with the triplets while he went back in for the baby, Sam. Hollie frantically stuffed duffle bags with the triplets' medical supplies - nebulizers, breathing treatments, formula, etc., and neighbors waded through water to help her.
They loaded their five month old and the duffle bags into their vehicle and as Nathan returned to the house for "peapod sleeping tents" (a safe place for the triplets to sleep that night) Hollie had to keep moving the vehicle to higher and higher ground so that the water wouldn't sweep them away.
Nathan arrived with the family dog swimming up to the car right behind him. (Both Hollie and Nathan lost their shoes wading through the hurricane strength waters.) They made it out. But barely.
Hollie still has nightmares about what would've happened if Nathan had accidentally dropped one of the children. The current was so strong, they would've drowned. It was really a miracle that he was able to carry all three of them at one time in those conditions. The garage level of their home was flooded and neighbors told them the first floor flooded within minutes of their departure. The water didn't recede until Tuesday, three days later.
Today, the house is in ruins. A Williamson County inspector said it was the worst flood case he'd seen in the whole county. They are staying with friends and their belongings are divided between dumpsters and friends' garages. They have no idea what things survived the flood and what didn't. The family's financial situation is dire (medical bills still loom from the triplets high-cost preemie care, they have no flood insurance).
But, the family still feels blessed. They have each other and the amazing support of their community, church and friends.
Ty, can you please help this precious family create a safe home for their four young children and their aging/ailing parents?
Sometimes I focus on the "If I's"...
Thank you so much, Sue, for sharing your vibrant gift with us.
I'm curious. How many people actually use the phone books that gnomes faithfully leave on our doorsteps each year? Well, here's an idea: Phone books are PERFECT for spray adhesive projects (and glue stick gluing too). Just put what needs to be sprayed or glue sticked on a miscellaneous phone book page, spray or glue away, remove the project and close the phone book. That particular page is forever glued shut and hundreds of new pages await your next projects. 
