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Houston businessman surprises Louisiana family who lost everything in Hurricane Ida

Christmas came early for a Houma couple who moved here to start a new life. Mattress Mack and Gallery Furniture delivered a truckload full of gifts.

HOUSTON — Santa came early this year for a Louisiana couple who lost their home and nearly everything they owned in Hurricane Ida a few months ago.

“You just expect the storm to pass and things go back to normal in the in the next few weeks,” Michele Thomisee said. “But there was no home to go home to.”

Michele and her husband moved to Clear Lake City to start over. Everything left inside their home back in Houma was unsalvageable.

“Within a few days, everything was covered in mold, and wet,” she said. “And everything you worked for is gone.”

The couple made the decision to leave and try their luck at a new life in Houston.

“We’re going to be OK,” Thomisee said. “This is home now.”

For three months the Thomisees lived in a hotel.

They found jobs and saved every penny they had, until they had enough for a deposit on an apartment and could pay their first month’s rent.

“As you can see, we didn’t have anything moving in,” Thomisee said.

Without even a bed to sleep on, there was still a lot left missing.

That is, until Wednesday.

Much to their surprise, a yellow truck pulled up outside of their apartment unit Wednesday, and crews unloaded box after box.

Inside was furniture and housewares free of charge.

They were surprise Christmas gifts for their troubles this year from Mattress Mack and Gallery Furniture.

It’ll make their dream of starting over in Houston, and their first Christmas in Texas, that much brighter.

“We appreciate it so much,” Thomisee said.

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