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Church provides model for sheltering evacuees on dialysis

Sep. 23, 2005

NOTE: Photographs and related coverage are available at
http://umns.umc.org.

By Betty Backstrom*

OPELOUSAS, La. (UMNS) - The Rev. Dale Hensarling saw what happened to
evacuating dialysis patients after Hurricane Lilly hit the state in
2002.

"These patients were a group of people who escaped death, only to die
later because they couldn't get dialysis in a timely manner," said
Hensarling, pastor of Louisiana Memorial United Methodist Church.

Renal doctors have shared Hensarling's concern regarding evacuees on
dialysis. In the aftermath of the series of devastating hurricanes that
have pummeled Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, renal doctors
from throughout the country have produced a model for a shelter designed
specifically for patients needing help with their kidneys.

Louisiana Memorial United Methodist Church, housing evacuees from
Hurricane Katrina, is perhaps the first such shelter emerging from the
model.

"Two days after the storm hit, we were up and running," Hensarling said.
"This was critical because we needed to be prepared to receive patients
as soon as they arrived."

Dr. Paul Miller, who operates a dialysis clinic in Opelousas, was
instrumental in guiding the south Louisiana church through the process
of opening and its ongoing operation. "Dr. Miller was invaluable, as
were our contacts with the Office of Public Health," Hensarling added.

A comforting aspect of this shelter is that the church can house not
only the patients, but their family members as well. "This can be
critical to the well-being of the patient," the pastor said. "We have
one 12-year-old and a number of elderly who not only need their family
for emotional support but for physical support as well."

Housing the shelter at the church allowed the staff and volunteers to
provide a non-clinical atmosphere. "People arrived frightened and
exhausted. We tried to make the transition for them as painless as
possible. Everything we do and say is to let them know that we are glad
they are here," said church member Darlene Trosclair.

The population of patients rose to as high as 24 after Hurricane
Katrina, with an additional 14 or so family members and caregivers. That
number decreased as patients were placed in more permanent housing. The
remaining patients and staff were hunkering down as Hurricane Rita
approached Sept. 23.

Housing the dialysis shelter is only one component of the church's
ongoing support for the evacuees and their families. The 12-year-old
patient has been enrolled in a local junior high school. Some adults
have been placed in jobs in the Opelousas area, often in their own
fields of work.

Church members are in the process of finding housing, temporary and
permanent, for evacuees. Volunteers are lined up daily to transport the
patients back and forth to an area dialysis clinic in Eunice. The church
itself doesn't house dialysis machines.

Hensarling has even performed a wedding for a couple living in the
shelter with the young woman's mother, who is on dialysis. "Both the
bride and groom were born and raised in New Orleans. They had plans to
marry soon in New Orleans, so they decided to have the ceremony here
with us," he said.

"I've always wanted a wedding in the church with my family around me,"
said Charlene Lee, the bride. "All of you at the church are my family
now."

A local bridal shop donated a dress and veil, and Hensarling loaned
groom Larry Morris his tuxedo.

"The local paper asked permission to cover the event, and I said it was
fine, with the permission of the couple. My only stipulation was that
the photographer would agree to shoot a few extra pictures for a wedding
album," the pastor said with a laugh.

Not all the stories have been quite as happy. One 20-year-old patient
was separated from family, who wound up in Dallas. Arranging his travel
to reunite them is tricky because dialysis patients often cannot
tolerate long trips.

"We're working on obtaining mercy flights right now for several of the
patients who need to be flown to their destination," Hensarling said.
"Car travel is too risky to their health."

*Backstrom is editor of Louisiana Now!, the newspaper of the United
Methodist Church's Louisiana Annual Conference.

News media contact: Tim Tanton, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or
newsdesk@umcom.org.

********************

United Methodist News Service
Photos and stories also available at:
http://umns.umc.org

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