Help a stranger (or maybe a not-so-stranger)
I have a friend in Orlando named Robyn Pollman. She runs Buttons and Bows Photography and Paperie Boutique (who has been a sponsor here for Modern Magical) and is one of the best and most in-demand photographers in Florida. She has been pretty much forced from her home this month never to return, all due to Chinese Drywall. It’s caused her a pantload of health issues and it just compounds. Vomiting, colitis, migraines, insomnia. Her kids were sick all the time, the appliances need replacing every 6 months due to corrosion. It’s a nightmare. They’ve had to leave everything porous, since not only it it pretty much poisoned, but it will continue to ‘off-gas’ and contaminate everything in their new place, turning any home they bring this stuff into a lethal area (really, the gas was used as part of a nerve poison in WW1!).
Her update:
paperieboutique.com/2010/06/15/made-in-china/
Chinese drywall links:
http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/drywall/docs/Drywall_for_Healthcare_Providers.pdf
http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/drywall/
They and their two boys are in a new rental place, but it’s a lot like a house fire and insurance will probably not cover that loss because it’s not ’sudden’. So, she’s lost everything that’s not metal or ceramic or glass. Furniture, bedding, shelving, clothes, books, boxes.. everything. This includes all of her photography things except for one body and one lens she had been keeping as a backup in her garage instead of the house.
So, she needs help. Photographers and other companies across the US are sending props and I’ve personally cleaned out an entire closet of my own to ship to her. The one thing I can’t send is camera gear. She’s been saving up for a new camera body (a D700) and a few new lenses for more than a year, but now that money has to go to buying her kids things and replacing furniture. I want for her to be able to finally be able to upgrade and replace what she’s lost, which is going to be about $6000.
I’m writing in hopes that people will come through in some donations for her. $5, $10, $50.. whatever you can will be a help. Since she’s not an organization and not a non-profit, this is not tax-deductible, but she just needs a little help to get back on her feet this once. Please paypal whatever you can to robyn@buttonsandbowsphotography.com so she can have a little pick-me up and get what she needs to keep working. Huge thanks to everyone in advance!
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This is beyond sad. I hope they can get back on their feet relatively easily and that the whole family is in better health. I paypal’d some money to her and will spread the word. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you Shannon!! It’s so cliche, but every little bit really does help!
It absolutely does! I’m happy to help and hope the community pulls together for this family
Sending what I can now and spreading the word. I hope everyone who reads about this does the same.
Ugh. I knew about all of the porous stuff, but I had no idea she had lost her camera gear too! Horrible!
Thank you again for doing this. I have a plan in the works… *grin*
This is horrible! Where’s the donate button so I can chip some in to help her out.
Matthew, sadly you’ll have to do it the old fashioned way and just manually enter her email into your paypal. I’ll work on getting a button.
Great job organizing this Heather! Robyn has created so many memories for me and my family and for so many other families. Now, all of her own memories are destroyed. I am more than willing to give back to her. I will also pass the word so that others can help her out!
[...] sure readers will remember what’s been going on with Robyn. She’s been so thankful for all the help she’s been getting and it’s so [...]