At 5 a.m. on Friday, September 9, in New Orleans, when most WW-P residents were sleeping comfortably in their dry beds, 14-year-old Kelsey Leigh Zeitzer was struggling to stay alive.
She and her brother, Jonathan, 12, both made it — and after nearly a week of tribulation ended up in West Windsor, where they are now enrolled in the WW-P school system.
When Katrina struck her town, Kelsey and her brother immediately left their house and beat it out through the storm for five days inside the Ochsner Clinic in New Orleans, Louisiana. She endured the effects of the storm in a sleeping bag on the hospital floor, subsisting on canned food, one mile from her home.##M:[more]##
Ochsner, a private healthcare facility with its own power generators and a well prepared emergency plan, was one of only three hospitals in metropolitan New Orleans to remain open during the hurricane. But conditions were far from optimal, as thousands of people sought treatment in the sweltering heat of the clinic.
“I wish I would have evacuated instead of staying. Windows were breaking, it was pouring rain and really scary. I wouldn’t want to go through it again,” Kelsey said. At the hospital she volunteered by gathering towels to clean up all the water and helping get food to the patients on the higher floors, because the elevators didn’t work. “We had a human chain handing up food to the higher floors. There were all different kinds of people helping out— patients, nurses, and doctors with their families,” Kelsey said.
When the 17th Street levee was breached and conditions appeared even more ominous, Kelsey’s mother, Ellen — a physician at the clinic — arranged for Kelsey and her brother to accompany neighbors who were leaving town at midnight. The cramped, small sport-utility vehicle consisted of two other women, the Zeitzer children, and five cats and two dogs. Kelsey’s mom stayed back to take care of those who weren’t physically able to evacuate the life-threatening conditions.
After a 23-hour drive, the group arrived safely in Tampa, Florida, the location of the nearest available hotel room. Kelsey and Jonathan’s father, Scott — who had left New Orleans on a business trip before the hurricane struck — met them in Tampa. He flew with them to New Jersey and reached West Windsor, where they now live on Ginnie Lane with Linda and Cory Zeitzer, Scott’s brother, and cousins Emily, 16, and Bryan, 12. Kelsey attends High School North with Emily and is enjoying her stay. “I like WW-P because of how friendly everyone in this town is and how neighbor oriented it is.”
In Louisiana, Kelsey used to go to McGhee School, an all-girl school that consisted of grades K-12. “It’s a lot different going to a co-ed school. The main difference between the schools is the size. North is large; it’s like the Super Dome.” The schools may vary in enormity; however, the curriculum is roughly the same. “I don’t like math because it’s kind of tough for me, but I love art. At McGhee, I took many art classes.”
Thus far, Kelsey has adjusted well to the surroundings, yet still misses her little old town in uptown New Orleans where she lives on Fern Street. “In Louisiana,” Kelsey recollects, “there wasn’t just jazz, but there was a lot of music. Just about every night there were different bands playing at places like coffee shops or small clubs. It was just fun to go; one place I always went to was called Neutral Ground. It’s my favorite.”
According to Scott Zeitzer the family fared far better than many during the storm. His house in the Algiers section, where the children spend half their time, escaped serious damage. Their mother’s house sustained roof damage. But even if the residents were allowed to return immediately, the kids’ schools would still be closed.
“The guidance counselors and teachers at WW-P have been fabulous, says Zeitzer. “They took us in even though the kids’ records were totally unavailable.”
As of now Kelsey is expecting to stay in West Windsor until January. “I know that it’s going to take a while to get re-settled and I know that we are going to rebuild a lot of New Orleans but at least one thing is not going to change — my old friends and old school.”
Kelsey has made many new friends since her move to West Windsor and promises to keep in touch after she returns to her hometown in New Orleans. This experience has forever changed Kelsey’s outlook on life. “I think people should really take a second look and appreciate how lucky they are just to have their family together and their own home.”
— Sonal Kumar
The writer is a student at High School North.
