Selma, Alabama native Michael Henderson knows how to face challenges, but he says he is very thankful for the American Red Cross assistance in facing his latest one.
Michael Henderson is a veteran of the 1980s Middle East conflict, where he worked as a government statistician. He returned to the U.S and worked several jobs, including driving trucks and construction. He married and had several children, all of whom live outside of Alabama – from Boston to Arizona. When the children were young, Michel wrote children’s stories for them, as well as three chapter books of poetry.
His construction career brought Michael back to Alabama, where he worked on restoring historical homes. Then his next challenge hit. He said 12 years ago, he suffered his first stroke, and his health has declined ever since.
As his health declined, so did his financial situation. Following the years of COVID shut down, Michael found himself alone, estranged from his family, in poor health and living in the shed of a family member.
When the recent tornados damaged his home, a family member brought Michael to a Red Cross shelter. While staying at the shelter, he suffered another stroke and was rushed to the hospital. Despondent and alone, Michael one again faced his new challenges.
Then he met a Red Crosser who changed his life. Linda Shelley was his shelter transition caseworker. A native of Laconia, New Hampshire, Linda left her home in Northern New England to deploy with the Red Cross following the tornadoes – something she has done several times in the past few years.