After coping with massive tree damage, Abel Care reopens near Howell
OCEOLA TWP. — Eight months ago, Cristina and Abel Pavel were just starting to spruce up a longtime adult foster care home near Howell when disaster struck.
No one was injured when a massive Cottonwood tree was uprooted in a bad August storm, but the tree crashed through the dining room of Abel Care, causing extensive damage to the home and displacing five residents.
Cristina said it took months to repair the damage. They just started moving residents back in.
"We were about to serve dinner," Cristina told The Daily. "We had a table here, and (the tree) was literally sitting down right in the middle of the dining room table."
She said one bedbound resident was in a bedroom next to the dining room.
"Basically, we had to get him out of harm's way. And I had another lady I was taking care of, and just maybe five minutes before, she had to go to the bathroom, and I told her, 'Why don't you come over to this side of the house?' (That side) wasn't damaged. Normally, she would use the bathroom (near the dining room). The ceiling was starting to come off, so I would've had a hard time getting her out of there."
The other three residents were also on the undamaged side of the house. Cristina said it was raining hard and electrical wires were breaking. A neighbor came to help turn the electricity off.
An electrician also discovered an outlet to a clothing dryer was damaged.
"When he opened up inside (the wall), it was black. So, to me, it was just like, anything could have happened," Christina said. "At the time, you just do whatever you have to do. You think, but you have to continue on."
They called residents' families and contacted a placement agency to find somewhere for them to go.
"We were able to get all five of them to one place," Cristina said. They were assisted by family members, Livingston County EMS and Livingston Essential Transportation Service.
Cristina said four of the five residents living at Abel Care at the time of the storm have since passed away, but the home welcomed its first new resident back last week and a second earlier this week.
The home is licensed for up to eight residents. They've lined up four people, including the two who've already moved in. They'll hold an open house 2-4 p.m. Saturday, April 15, for interested families.
Aside from repairing the damage, the Pavels took the opportunity to complete additional renovations, including new kitchen cabinets, bathrooms and flooring.
The Pavels and two of their children, who still live at home, reside in the basement. They were able to stay in the home after the storm.
The Pavels purchased the home at 51 Endicott Drive in Oceola Township from Kay Brauer, who ran Kay D's Elderly Care Home there before retiring.
The Pavels previously ran a residential care home in New Boston, which was licensed for four people, and cared for adults there for about seven years before moving to Livonia and then Redford.
"We made a decision to get back into this, because this is what I know," Christine said. "We did look at a couple other options, but when we saw this home, we knew this was it."
— Contact reporter Jennifer Eberbach at jeberbach@livingstondaily.com.
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: After coping with massive tree damage, Abel Care reopens near Howell
