Katrina Kicked off Troubled Souls' Odyssey

They are not inmates. While they might be delusional, largely toothless and at times hilarious, they are not really rebellious. Wearing scraps of donated clothing, the men range in age from 30 to 70. Several are quiet _ Leonard, for one, didn't speak for 12 days after the storm.

For these men who are schizophrenic, bipolar, severely depressed, obsessive-compulsive and shellshocked from war _ often simultaneously _ Hurricane Katrina and its agonizing aftermath have forced them to function as a family, perhaps for the first time in their lives.

"We look out for each other," says Raymond Jean Pierre, who everybody agrees is the oldest.

"We stick together," says Patrick Pitchford, whose tattoos crawl down both arms like psychedelic shirt sleeves. "If one person had to go to the bathroom, we all go'd to the bathroom."

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SieSie said:

Thanks for the link, Liz - it was a great article. I liked this little snippet:

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After another 200 miles, the bus pulled up to the Astrodome. The men showered for the first time in six days and ate. They circled their cots again, then looked for help.

"Vic came up to us at the medical triage center and said there were 16 mental patients in a group," recalls psychiatrist Allison. "We asked him if he was their caretaker. He said, 'No, I'm one of the patients!'"

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Liz said:

I was touched by this story which shows that, by sticking together, friends can overcome seemingly impossible odds.


Sunday, September 18, 2005 6:14 p.m. ET

They're out there. The shooters, the choppers, the looters, the lines, the foul water and the bodies. Especially the bodies. "But we're in here," says Victor Fruge.

Others _ hundreds of thousands of them _ had also escaped from New Orleans. But few could match the extraordinary, even miraculous odyssey of Fruge and his comrades _ 16 mentally ill men and recovering addicts, cast out of their group home, Abstract House, by the storm.

Story continued here and it's a must read!

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Was I in that group I can't remember

Tom'sGirl said:

Was I in that group I can't remember :woohoo:

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OneLostGrl said:

Liz-

Thanks for sharing that article with us all.
It amazes me that none of them broke down or got arrested.. that the one thing they held onto was what "normal" people would think we mentally Ill would be happy to loose,--- their Meds!

I, as a mentally Ill woman, want to say to these guys "I'm so proud of ya'll". Ya knew what had to be done and you did it.. all by yourself!

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Liz said:

Glad you enjoyed it, SieSie.

I thought it was a bit irresponsible that the :crazy: group were left to their own demise. But, it was great that they managed to stick together, looking out for one another; and eventually made it safely together to a safe harbor.

My favorite snippet from the story was

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Dark Knight said:

Praise the Lord for their survival! It may have been the most therapeutic thing they've done! Maybe we should give "mentally ill" people more opportunities to succeed.

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tybee204 said:

This story would make a fabulous movie. LOL I Have been casting the actors in my head for days.

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tybee204 said:

This story would make a fabulous movie. LOL I Have been casting the actors in my head for days.

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SewingDeb said:

Who's who on your casting list, Tybee? I think it would make a fabulous movie, too.

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