Donna Fagersten had taken refuge at a friend’s home on the top floor as Hurricane Helene tore through northern Florida, leaving a devastating trail of destruction and more than 100 casualties in the southeastern U.S.
As the storm appeared to calm, the 66-year-old teacher, just days away from her retirement, made a fateful choice to return home to rescue her cat.
When Hurricane Helene hit Florida on September 26, 2024, around 11 p.m., the Category 4 storm triggered flash floods, forcing residents to scramble for safety. One of the hardest-hit areas was Pinellas County, particularly in the Tampa Bay region, where at least 11 people lost their lives.
Among the victims was Donna Fagersten, a second-grade teacher from Ponce De Leon Elementary in Pinellas County.
According to her best friend Heather Anne Boles, Donna was set to retire the following week after dedicating 35 years to teaching. When the storm hit, Donna sought shelter with Boles and her partner, Mike Moran. As the storm surge rushed in, they retreated to the third floor of Boles’ mother’s home, across from the beach where Donna lived.
Boles recalled that as the storm seemed to settle, Donna insisted on going home to check on her cat, despite Boles’ pleas to stay. Tragically, another surge and high winds returned, battering the coastline.
A neighbor later came to their shelter, reporting that someone had been found floating in the parking garage. They quickly pulled Donna from the water and began CPR, but despite their efforts and the arrival of fire rescue by boat, they were unable to revive her.
Detectives later confirmed that Donna had drowned in her home, which had been flooded with water.
Family and friends have since remembered Donna as a “beautiful person” who was deeply committed to her students and community. In a Facebook post, Mary Gleason Lyons, a colleague and friend, described Donna as a dedicated teacher with a big heart, touching the lives of many students over her 35-year career.
Online tributes poured in, with former students and friends expressing their sadness at her passing and remembering her kindness and warmth.
While Boles and Moran are now left to clean up after the floods, which destroyed most of their belongings, the loss of their best friend is what hurts the most. “This is the worst we have ever seen,” Boles said, reflecting on the storm’s destruction compared to Hurricane Irma, where they managed to keep their home and belongings intact.
On a positive note, Donna’s cat survived, and her friends are working to find him a new home.
Hurricane Helene, which cut a destructive 800-mile path northward, left more than 2 million homes without power and claimed over 100 lives, according to USA Today.
Protecting Our Children: A Parent’s Priority
Our first concern as parents is for our kids’ safety and wellbeing. We automatically take every precaution to keep them safe from harm from the minute they are born. It is just inconceivable to consider our children getting sick or injured. Without even thinking twice, we go above and beyond to keep them safe.
But the truth is that things can go awry sometimes even with our greatest intentions. Every parent knows that accidents can occur and that it is frightening to consider a scenario that is beyond of their control. Jackie Fedro knows all too well about this. Her daughter’s terrifying tragedy happened in 2016, but it serves as a potent lesson for all parents to be watchful and observant at all times.
A BuzzFeed article claims that Jackie made the decision for her 13-year-old daughter Gabbie to receive her own smartphone in 2016. It was an LG d500 that was a Christmas present. Jackie clarified that Gabbie’s hectic practice schedule necessitated having a phone, which was one of the reasons she was given one. They had no idea that the course of their lives would become quite frightening.
One day, Gabbie’s mother heard her cry as she was using her phone in her room. Jackie realized her kid was in terrible pain as she hurried to her side in a panic. Gabbie was screaming hysterically and clutching her neck. For Jackie, it was a heartbreaking sight as a mother. She was helpless and unsure of how to make her daughter’s suffering better. Gabbie needed a few minutes to formulate an explanation for what had transpired.
Gabbie admitted to her mother that she had been on her phone during the charging process. She was shocked by an electric shock. When the current touched her metal necklace, it burned her neck after passing through her phone and up the charging cord. Due to the extreme heat, Gabbie had to endure excruciating second-degree burns, leaving a scar across her neck.
Shocked by this unexpected event, Jackie was driven to tell her daughter’s tale and educate other parents about the unspoken risks associated with cell phones. It’s not something that’s often known or even discussed. Jackie stressed, “Parents need to be warned about the harm that phones can cause, especially with so many kids using them these days.”
Isn’t it horrible to consider that something as basic as using a phone might result in such a horrific experience? Stories like these serve as a helpful reminder to parents of the value of continuing education and vigilance. Let’s make sure we take every precaution to keep our kids safe.
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