Tonight at 8:55pm will be exactly one month since the NS train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. My home shook. I saw evil flames and smoke rolling into our beautiful night sky.
One thing my PTSD has done to me-I’m blocking out some things, then it’s hitting me straight on. One thing that is not being discussed. There was a second train that night. I stood in my living room and screamed at the top of my lungs. OMG THERE’S A SECOND TRAIN! I heard the horn and I heard the engine downshift and the braking as it came to a stop-right in front of my home. No one realizes how something like this changes you until it happens to you.
I had to make decisions to flee or stay in my home. I had to make decisions that I pray no one I love ever has to endure themselves.
I heard explosions all though the night into and throughout the day on Saturday. We breathed in chemicals and toxic fumes, but we were told it was safe….
As a mother, I had to tell my only child, my son to leave and drive to his Aunt and Uncle’s home the night we were evacuated. You have no idea how difficult that was to watch your only child leave your driveway while Firetrucks were flying down your street and fires were burning in the background.
At this time I didn’t know if this was a terrorist attack…I didn’t know what was happening. I was panicked, not knowing if I would ever see my child again.
All I’ve witnessed from the moment the NS train derailed is complete and utter failure. We’ve been failed repeatedly. Here we are a month later, and people are not getting answers we deserve. Just be honest. Tell us the truth. The more you try to dismiss us. The more angry we are becoming. And we have have every right to be.
This is our life, and We only get one.
Don’t try to dismiss our anger with an I’m sorry this has happened to you….
They stole the last month of my life from me. Time I’ll never get back.
I’ll suffer with memories of this man made disaster-that should have been prevented
for the rest of my life.
I am not a public speaker. I want to remain in my home and snuggle with my 2 doggos, and pretend this never happened to me and the ones we love. But I know if I did this, they’ll be allowed to get away with what they’ve done.
They thought they would-that’s why they rebuilt that track overtop of contaminated soil-hours after it was on fire. They thought they could drive through our town while fires were still burning-and we would just be okay with it.
None of this is okay.
We only have one life, and I’m not losing any more of mine, without fighting for
everyone I love.