The Deleon Family

The Deleon family

A Bright Future

December 22, 2018

Porfirio Deleon, Rachel Deleon and three of their six children have been living together in one room for the last 14 months.

Thanks to Porfirio’s sister, who is currently hosting, the Deleon’s are able to stay nearby while their family home is rebuilt. Before the storm, it had already been a challenge living together in a house with four rooms, so they look forward to spreading out again when they get their finished home back this January.

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houston_texas_usa_hurricane_recovery_homebuild_volunteer_staff_beneficiary_group — Homeowner Porfirio Deleon, left, holds his daughter, Andrea, as he speaks to Project Manager Sam Coriden during a walk through of his home.

When All Hands and Hearts- Smart Response began working on the Deleon home this August, it was nothing but studs.

“The norm is we will knock four feet of sheet rock and build from there. My situation was different,” Porfirio explained. “Because I have a 9-year-old daughter with Leukemia, I had to tear everything up. I couldn’t risk there being mold in my home after we rebuilt.”

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Left: Site Supervisor in Training Mariel Godard frames a window. Right: Volunteers mud newly installed drywall in the Deleon home.

Porfirio’s 9-year-old daughter, Mia, was diagnosed with Leukemia in late 2016. On the day Hurricane Harvey hit, Mia Deleon was safe at the hospital, due to a mysterious fever. The hospital decided to keep her for two weeks after the storm while the family found a stable place to stay. To this day, the cause of the fever remains unknown, but Porfirio considers it a blessing in disguise.

“If you just meet her she’s a normal child,” said Porfirio. “Her future is bright. Her future is what she wants it to be. That’s the way we raise our children and she’s no different than any other one.”

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Left: Mia Deleon plays Fornite with her brother Oscar Deleon. Right: Mia’s mother Rachel holds Mia’s lunchtime medicine.

“HER FUTURE IS BRIGHT. THAT’S THE WAY WE RAISE OUR CHILDREN AND SHE’S NO DIFFERENT THAN ANY OTHER ONE.”

On a recent Saturday, Mia was happily eating donuts and playing Fortnite with her brother, Oscar. She says the most challenging thing about sharing a bedroom with her whole family is the snoring. Mia is looking forward to playing outside in the backyard when the house is finished.

“I’m most excited because I get my own room,” Mia said.

As she nears the final stretch of her treatment, Mia continues to take multiple medications everyday, but it’s a lot less than when she started.

“She is doing as good as she can be despite her diagnosis,” said Porfirio.

houston_texas_usa_hurricane_recovery_homebuild_beneficiary_3 — *Rachel Deleon plays with her daughters Andrea (left) and Mia(right) in the back yard of her sister-in-law’s home.*

“THE DELEON FAMILY IS GRATEFUL.”

Just as Mia and her family are resilient in the face of life’s challenges, All Hands and Hearts aims to build resilient homes in the face of future natural disasters.

In addition to support from All Hands and Hearts, the Deleon family has received assistance and funding from multiple organizations including Adams Angels, Pastor’s Army, Eight Days of Hope, Southside Vaqueros, University of Florida State Alumni Association, Catholic Charities, Lions Club, RAKLife, Regulators Motorcycle Club, Lakewood Church, and countless friends and family.

“I just want to thank you guys. Words cannot describe how grateful we are for what you guys are doing,” said Porfirio. “The Deleon family is grateful.”