FORT MYERS, Fla. — So many people have lost so much from Hurricane Ian, the loss of life and memories piled on to the street. It's a reality that no one wants to believe.
Synthia Fairman, Co-owner of the Tampa-based babysitting company Doublemint Sitting, knows what it's like to be a helping and healing hand in the community.
"They lost everything, I lost my childhood home," she said. Fairman's parents are now starting over at such a late stage in life. "They're 70 years old."
The mental exhaustion Hurricane Ian has caused on residents of Southwest Florida is indescribable, "My mental health is so messed up from seeing everything," Fairman said over the phone.
While Fairman had plans to move back up to Tamp at the beginning of the month, she put that on hold to help the two precious pieces of her life that she didn't lose: Her parents.
"How can I help them," Fairman said over the phone, "My dad told me, 'Synthia, help whoever you can, but don't forget about me.'"
Synthia assured her dad she would be able to help her parents and the community, and that's just what she did.
In an emotional Facebook post Fairman said:
"I am speechless. Literally speechless in every aspect of life right now. I cannot thank you all enough. For so long I have been helping people day in and day out.
I knew when the day came, I would have an amazing team of people to help me. I cried out to my village last week when the Hurricane hit and my parents lost everything.
I am in tears and emotional every time I go to say thank you. You ALL have provided for my family, my neighborhood and my community.
From friends allowing me to crash on their couch, people offering me hot food, to strangers calling to donate items, to people sharing my posts, to clients asking what I need, to people just checking in."
From essential items like bottled water, food, pillows and clothing, Fairman says anything you could possibly think of to aid in relief, her network has reached out and helped.
On Wednesday afternoon, PDQ catered hot meals for neighbors of the Twin Palms Estates, thanks to a Doublemint Sitting client up in Tampa.
"The neighbors have a countdown and are so excited to have hot food," Fairman said, "I just love how everyone is coming together."
