LAFAYETTE — The Jeanerette couple who had a tree fall on their home during Hurricane Barry and then was attacked by bees is now reunited with their three children. The father and mother have been hospitalized since Saturday morning. Wednesday, they shared their story.
"I want to say it was like a 1000 pounds on my chest," Kendra Robertson explained. "I just talked to God and said please save to so I can be with my husband to raise my three kids."
That's the prayer she prayed as she was pinned under the tree. She lay there, unable to move.
Her husband Robert was on the other side of their home.
"The only thing I heard was her holler."
He rushed to help his wife. As he did, he was swarmed and stung by bees.
"When I looked, they were all over me by the thousands."
He kept at it, working to free his wife who was barely breathing.
"I told him he was going to have to let me go. We have three kids. Let me go," Kendra pleaded.
"He told me I can't let you go, I can't let my wife die."
Kendra says it was something her 17-year-old son said to her as she was pinned under the tree that gave her hope.
"He came and said 'Momma, I know I say we live in poverty. I take that back. We have enough. It's the small things that matter.'"
"Something hit me," Robert explains. "I started lifting the tree up. Something gave me power. We I saw her turn her head and breath, I knew I had her."
He says a firefighter helped him to hoist the tree enough to get her out. Then, they were both rushed to the hospital. Robert had over two thousand bees attack him. A team of six nurses pulled stingers out of his face and head. As he entered surgery, bees were still alive in his body. Robert is continuing to fight an infection and will be under doctor's care for weeks.
Kendra was stung and has scrapes and bruises. She had dental surgery the day before the storm hit. The tree falling on top of her has affected that healing process.
The mother now trying to figure out what's next for her family. "Now, we have nowhere to go."
Robert says he is uneasy but has to go back to what's left of their home.
"I'm afraid but I'm going home to see how it looks."
Our cameras were with the family when they went back home and when they saw their children for the first time in four days.
That story Thursday night on Acadiana's News Channel at 10:00.
The family has set up a GoFundMe page if you would like to donate: https://www.gofundme.com/robertsonsrebuild
