DALLAS – When the Rev. Mike Fechner heard a New Orleans mother had been
separated from her infant son during the chaos of Hurricane Katrina, he
went to the top to get her help.
He believes that "highest call" is the reason Stacy Nolan, now sheltered
in Dallas, was reunited with her baby Tuesday night.
"We thank you, Lord, for the answer of our prayer," said the minister of
spiritual development at Prestonwood Baptist Church, praying by phone
with Ms. Nolan after she was told her 7-month-old son had been found
safe.
A'Mahd had been visiting with family friend Nicole Johnson when the
storm hit New Orleans last week, and floodwaters prevented Ms. Nolan
from reaching her child before she had to be evacuated by helicopter on
Aug. 30.
Ms. Nolan, her two other children and several family members were bused
to Dallas and placed in an apartment, but they were not able to reach
Ms. Johnson by phone.
Ms. Nolan and her family have spent the past week begging shelter
workers, reporters and anyone else who would listen to help them find
A'Mahd.
"I kept my head up," Ms. Nolan said, adding that she never lost hope
that she would find her baby. "I put it all in the Lord's hands."
The Nolans are one of about 300 evacuee families Prestonwood, a
24,000-member church in Plano,Texas, is helping with supplies, housing
and employment.
Mr. Fechner met Ms. Nolan at the Dallas Housing Authority's office on
Saturday and listened to her tale of woe.
He gave her a stuffed animal dog – Happy Hank – and made her promise
that she would keep it safe until she was reunited with her baby. She
clutched it tight, he said.
"Just the gift of a stuffed animal is an amazing thing in this time of
need," he said.
Mr. Fechner began calling in favors Saturday, asking everyone he knew to
spread the word about Ms. Nolan's plight. On Tuesday morning, Ms.
Johnson called Prestonwood.
"We don't know how it happened, exactly," Mr. Fechner said. "We just
know she called us."
Ms. Johnson and A'Mahd had been sheltered in Alexandria in central
Louisiana, and downed phone lines prevented her from contacting Ms.
Nolan.
A Prestonwood parishioner's private jet flew Ms. Johnson and A'Mahd to
Dallas late Tuesday.
"I feel lovely, I feel great," said Ms. Nolan, who cried as the plane
landed. "I thank the Lord he sent him back to me."
Ms. Nolan said she'll have to fight her mother and other relatives for
time with her baby boy in the next few days.
"We're going to have to take turns with him," she said. "We're going to
be playing switcheroo."
Special contributor Kim Ritzenthaler contributed to this report.
E-mail kmenzer@dallasnews.com
